Wrecked
by silverhexes
Summary: Five years ago, Monster High was reduced to rubble. Nothing has been the same since. Now, a ghoul with a blurred past finds herself in a more complicated situation than she could have ever imagined. What will it take for her—and the rest of the former Monster High students—to fix this bitter future? (Almost all characters included; takes from original, not rebooted, canon)
1. Awakening

Sunlight trickled through tall, cobwebbed-embellished windows. My heels left hard clicks behind me as I held my books to my chest. I was at ease. Comfortable. Yet a nagging worry pricked at my skin. I had a test in Dead Languages next period and although I had studied, I couldn't help but be anxious.

Monsters dashed past me in a blur of colors. An array of pink and purple dotted each wall, where rows of coffin-shaped lockers stood. I slowed when I reached mine, my fingers fiddling at the combination.

Just as I shut my locker, a cluster of ghouls walked my way. I smiled. They assured me the Dead Languages test was nothing to worry about, so the topic shifted to a party happening in the catacombs. We enthused about what we'd wear and what time we'd start getting ready for tonight. During lunch, we dished whatever drama took place that day until the bell rang and we dispersed into our respective classes.

A day at Monster High usually went like this. By the school day's end, we'd reconvene at the Coffin Bean for homework only to distract ourselves with shopping.

But it wasn't a usual day at Monster High that changed everything. It wasn't even a school day, yet that day changed Monster High forever; different than it had before. Not different like some days, where we'd travel to the past or party with humans on Halloween. None of us suspected it at the time but, on that day, Monster High was doomed.

Now, nothing is as it seems. But one thing is for sure:

Monster High is gone.

-.-.-.-

A gasp escaped my lungs the second I opened my eyes. It was a dream. Everything in the dream was familiar but why couldn't...

I recognized those monsters; that place. They meant something to me. But what? What about them made me care for them? I felt a strong, aimless sense of loss. Even so, the dream felt... right. Comfortable. My head throbbed as I tried to dig further into my thoughts. Memories? I wasn't sure.

I decided to turn my attention to what was around me instead of grasping at thoughts I didn't have.

I felt a thin, white blanket draped over my body all the way past my head. A hard surface collided with my elbows when I moved my arms. The ceiling? I brought my arms down closer to my chest and dragged the blanket off my face from there. Darkness. Perhaps it was the ceiling. My limbs were numb. Holding my palms out, I felt a smooth surface surrounding me at all sides only inches away.

I was trapped.

My breaths were frantic and desperate as I pounded the lid of whatever box enclosed me. A scream came out hoarse, scratching at my throat like rust on metal. My fists felt bruised by the time light blinded my vision, and the confining atmosphere gave way. There was a loud creak. I grew silent and still, watching the lid open completely.

The scent of sulfur hit me first. I managed to move my stiff joints and got onto my knees. The room was small yet elegant with an ancient, rustic interior; a faint glow from torches on the wall.

I got out of the box and took a closer look at my former prison, too elegant to be a mere coffin. I traced the elaborate designs with my forefinger.

A sarcophagus...

Looking past the open lid of the sarcophagus, I noticed another, more ornate sarcophagus a few feet away. I walked toward it, tempted to open it and see who—or what—was inside. Slipping my fingers between the crevice, I tried opening the lid but each tug left my fingertips raw. It wouldn't budge. I sighed, and a shiver raked my body. I followed the direction of the cold wind to see large golden doors leading out.

* * *

Abbey Bominable trudged through the snow, going through the same daily routine as always: finding food. Her miniature pet mammoth, Shiver, ran ahead of her, a purplish smudge on the white snow making sure the path was safe for Abbey. It wasn't snowing but footfalls were never uncommon.

Snow always blanketed this mountain—she should know, she lived here. It wasn't the Himalayas, but it was home when Abbey had moved west. Except during the school year, when she lived with the headmistress.

It had been five years and yet it felt like only yesterday for Abbey. She desperately wished it was. She would rather be with the headmistress instead of here, scavenging for food like an animal. If only it hadn't been for that day.

The day it all went to hell.

She remembered receiving calls from her family in the Himalayas, her cousins frantically trying to explain the disappearance of their great uncle Frostovitch as well as that of Abbey's own parents. She remained where she was until she received further news, but there was none.

Her parents vanished.

And when she finally decided to visit her Himalayan home, she greatly regretted it. The remaining Yetis were lost without the elders and had torn it apart.

When Abbey returned to the States, she got calls from Marisol in the south, inviting her to the Bigfoot village. Abbey hadn't considered traveling there by the time she was unable to pay the phone bills. Or any bills.

She lived every day the same as any other, the hope for change being the only thing that kept her going. A shame she didn't decide to break her routine and change things herself. She didn't like to think about what she could do, she simply did like she always had.

Abbey would often wonder why she remained on the snow-covered mountain instead of venturing into this changed, new world but every time she almost left, she remembered how safe the mountain made her feel. It made her feel safe in a world so unfamiliar. It made her feel at home in a place that didn't have anyone she loved but her pet, Shiver. But the incessant question would leap back at her:

Where is home?

Abbey sighed and followed Shiver higher up the mountain. A few steps later, she almost tripped over her. Abbey regained her footing, ready to scold Shiver until she glanced ahead and saw a ghoul's body sprawled in the snow.

Abbey took tentative steps forward, a loud crunch sounding beneath each one. The body was underdressed for the weather. The Yeti ghoul shook her head in pity.

 _Careless_ , she thought. Abbey knelt down and brushed some snow off the poor ghoul, and stilled.

Her face...

With shaky hands, Abbey reached for the ghoul's wrist and felt a faint but steady beat. The Yeti let out a choked, relieved sob.

The ghoul was alive.


	2. Bits and Pieces

**Author's Note:** _Thank you to those who followed, favorited, and reviewed! I appreciate all of it. This fanfiction is my first piece of creative writing I've put online, and I'm really glad the bit of you reading are enjoying it. I will always appreciate_ feedback _, so feel free to review! Thank you._

 _Oh! Might as well put a disclaimer here and say I do not own the lovely (and so, so much fun to write about) characters of Monster High, you have Mattel and Garrett Sander to thank for that. Speaking of which, there are many, many more characters to come._

 _Here's chapter two..._

* * *

My eyes were shut, and I was in no hurry to open them. It already astonished me enough to open the door to a winter wonderland, but now all I could feel was... warmth.

Was I about to open my eyes to a tropical paradise? Stranger things have happened. But what did I know?

"Nothing," I whispered. That was what I was certain of: I didn't know.

I didn't know anything.

Colds hands gripped mine, and I flinched.

"Shh..." a voice cooed.

My body relaxed. Maybe it was the voice but, whoever this person was, she was someone I could trust. I didn't know how I knew, but I did.

I opened my eyes to a veil of ice. Walls of it enclosed me in a dome—an ice cave. It was small but spacious, containing the makeshift necessities any home required. In the corner, a tiny purple mammoth slurped some water out of a bucket. I sat on a ratty mattress on cave floor with a fuzzy blanket resting on top of me. A ghoul with frosty blue skin, tricolored white hair, and tusks poking from her bottom lip knelt by me. She held my hands with her large yet elegant cold ones; her purple eyes were gentle.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice heavily accented... Yeti. She was a Yeti ghoul.

I croaked out a "yes". She smiled, and the tension left the air.

"I am glad," she said. "Did not believe I would see you again, Cleo." There was a distant look on her face. "Went back to find others when the school fell... I did not see you and I am sorry." A single tear streamed down her face, like she was holding back. She sighed. "Monster High."

The words caused a sensation of ease to overcome me. Whatever Monster High was, I... loved it.

She closed her eyes. "I miss it."

I didn't like seeing her in pain like this. "Who are you?" I asked, my voice less hoarse than it was before.

The look on the ghoul's face was unbearable. She stared at the ground. "I see," she said after some silence had passed between us. "You do not remember."

"I'm sorry," I choked out.

"No," she sniffed. Was she crying? "Is okay." She turned back to me, her eyes glassy. "I understand. Simply makes things clearer. You were not in school when it fell, were you?" she said, forcing a smile.

I shook my head. Unlike other things, this didn't sound familiar whatsoever.

"Well, on to introductions." She wiped her eyes. "I am Abbey. And you," Abbey nodded her head at me, "you are Cleo. Cleo de Nile."

Hearing the name brought sensations of familiarity and a nagging feeling I couldn't quite identify. I knew Cleo de Nile, and I was her. I smiled at Abbey. Abbey. The name made me happy. I trusted her, and she knew me. What did she know about me? Who was I?

I tried to stand up but Abbey caught me.

"No," she stressed, "rest."

A part of me agreed while another part of me was annoyed. I woke up in a sarcophagus, I think I have had enough rest.

"Who am I?" I asked tentatively.

A sly grin further revealed her tiny tusks. "You are Cleo," she sniffed. "You are rude, snobbish, and conceited."

I was taken aback, and it probably showed clearly on my face, because Abbey laughed.

"But," she looked me in the eyes, "you have heart of gold. Am proud to call you friend."

The corners of my lips upturned slightly. Whoever I was, I meant something to someone.

Abbey released my hands and stood up. "Will get you food."

A minute or so later, Abbey returned with a metal bowl of hot soup, and served it to me on a metal spoon. "Has yak meat," she said. "Good for body." When I finished, Abbey put away the bowl and spoon and returned with a mug. She told me to sit up, and she handed me the mug when I did. "Hot chocolate. Was saving but now seems like perfect occasion," she said with a grin.

Abbey walked off as I set the mug down for a second and wrapped the blanket I was under around me. Satisfied with my coziness, I took the mug and sipped, careful not to burn myself. My hands warmed with color. Tan. It felt odd but right somehow. Cleo de Nile had tan hands...

A shuffling sound interrupted me from my thoughts. Abbey noticed it too. She cautiously approached the wooden door leading outside the cave when it blasted open. A draft of icy wind flew in, and I huddled into the blanket.

Abbey relaxed. "Iris," she acknowledged, a relieved sigh escaping her lips.

The door closed, and in front of Abbey stood a short, olive-green cyclops ghoul with one long, messy braid.

Iris.

I knew her.

"Sorry I didn't come sooner," Iris said as Abbey came over and hugged her. Were they friends?

"Was worried when you not come yesterday," Abbey told her.

"Don't worry, none of the Queen's people saw me, I just had some business to take care of, so I couldn't meet you on Wednesday like I said I would." The cyclops ghoul rambled through her sentence for Abbey's sake, who stiffened at the mention of a queen. They seemed to be afraid of her.

"I didn't want to worry you but..." Iris drifted off, halfway through taking off her coat, and I froze as her one eye made contact with both of mine. "That's..."

The next thing I knew, she rushed over to my side and held me in a tight hug, her braid sweeping against my shoulder.

"Oh my ghoul! Cleo! I didn't know you were still around I thought you were gone like the others I just can't believe you're here!" She pulled back, and I'm sure the confusion I had showed on my face. "Sorry." She sniffed. "I know we were never really friends back then, but you being here is a miracle." She gave me a small smile.

Abbey came to stand behind her. "Your excitement never ceases, hmm?"

Iris giggled. "Times like these need a little joy, don't you think? Cleo being here is amazing."

"Yes, but she does not know."

"Know..?"

"She remembers nothing."

Iris gasped. "We need to help her then! Do you think the Queen had this done to her? She could've been her prisoner."

Abbey scoffed. "The Queen would not let prisoner escape. Besides, she was much far from Queen's Palace."

This queen seemed ruthless. Did she have the ability to make someone lose their memory? Abbey and Iris didn't question it.

The green cyclops let out a sigh and turned to face me. "Cleo," she began sternly, "what do you remember?"

I told them about how I was in the sarcophagus in some elegant room on top of a snow covered mountain. I remembered coming out of the room onto the snow, but then waking up in Abbey's cave. They stared at me, dumbfounded.

"Told you she does not remember," Abbey said calmly and crossed her arms.

"Is that all?" Iris pleaded. I tried thinking before then but there wasn't anything there—nothing but the dream.

"I... had a dream."

Abbey raised an eyebrow, probably wondering how a dream would be of any use. Iris' eye widened, and she clapped her hands. "Okay tell us what it was about."

Once I explained, I realized they were both in it. Abbey and Iris were ghouls with me in the dream. Both Iris and Abbey took the information intently.

"Monster High," I heard Abbey say. "Her dream was there."

"Do you think it was the day when it happened?" Iris asked Abbey.

Abbey brought a hand to her chin. After a moment, she said slowly, "Do not think so."

I couldn't stand being clueless. What were they talking about? "When what happened?"

Iris turned to me with a grave look on her freckled face, and Abbey turned away completely, sulking away to attend to the small mammoth in the corner. Whatever happened, Abbey made it clear she didn't want to talk about it.

I glanced back at Iris. She sighed.

"Okay, Cleo, I'll tell you how the world got wrecked."

Iris began to tell me about how she attended school at a place called Monster High. She asked if I knew what school was, and I nodded. The only things I needed clearing up in my unlife were what happened within my own.

Iris talked about Monster High with a wondrous, far off look on her face. But sometime while she was talking, her face fell. The school disembody had reunited before the new school year during the school gore-rientation when, suddenly, there was an earthquake and Monster High crashed down upon itself.

"Everyone, no, almost everyone, made it out in time." Iris lamented, her voice choking on words. Sadness filled her green eye, but she continued on, "After, one of the most popular ghouls in school started organizing ways to fix up the community. I didn't know what that had to do with our destroyed school but everyone rallied behind her. No one even bothered to fix Monster High. It wasn't until months into the next year that monsters began to realize her 'community service' was really a way to reform the community. She built an entire city the way she wanted it and practically destroyed everything surrounding it. It was insane."

"This is the queen, isn't it?" I asked.

Iris nodded.

Abbey grunted from the corner. "Does not even go by name anymore. Simply 'the Queen'."

Hesitant to delve any further, I asked Iris what everyone from Monster High was doing now.

"Well, a lot of former Monster High students live in the city within the Queen's kingdom. Abbey's here," she gestured to the Yeti with her arm, "and I'm—along with a few others—trying to find out the reason the world became like this in the first place. We haven't found out much but, once we do, we're going to get whoever's behind it."

"Something's wrong with the world?" I asked, my face twisting with confusion. Iris told me Monster High had been destroyed but... the world, too?

"We have a hunch it's the Queen who did it, so we're located pretty far from the city." Iris grinned shyly. "I guess you could call us rebels."

Abbey scoffed. "Not rebels if not rebelling."

"I don't see you doing anything!" Iris retorted.

I flinched. Seeing Iris like this didn't fit my perception of her. Calm, gentle, and sometimes nervous... Not bursting with rage.

"You are one to talk," Abbey protested.

"We are planning something!" Iris stood and took a few steps toward her.

"That is what you say each time you are here."

"Well, it's happening this time."

A silence passed between them. Iris clenched her fists, let out a deep breath, and then knelt back down in front of me. "A group of us former students are _rebels_ ," she emphasized, to which Abbey ignored. Iris shook her head and continued, "There's a..." she glanced warily at Abbey, then lowered her voice, "house near this mountain that a couple of us stay in sometimes. Close to the city, but far enough to not be detected."

"Maybe they not see you as threat," Abbey said.

"They will soon enough." Iris beamed back at me.

Abbey let out a huff and refilled the mammoth's water.

"Anyway, Cleo, we also have a camp much farther from the city past this mountain." It bewildered me that Iris told me about her group's camps, but she seemed excited to share this with someone who wouldn't criticize her.

"What's the point of telling Abbey that? Didn't you already tell her?"

Iris shot up. This was a new voice. The door in front of the cave once again burst open and closed just as quickly. A ghoul with pale green skin and browned green hair stood in front of the wooden door. Her clothes were faded and caked in mud. She seemed familiar, but something was off about her.

"Venus," Iris stammered, her one eye wide with alarm. "W-what are you doing here?"

The ghoul—Venus—sighed and waved her off. "I don't have time for this." Her sky-blue eyes landed on Abbey, expressionless. "You're coming with me."

Abbey rose to her feet, her purple brows furrowed.

"What?" Iris asked. "Does it have to do with what we're planning?"

"Yes," she quipped.

Abbey rolled her eyes. "Why needing me?"

Venus shook her head. "Look, we need all the help we can get and even though you're just one monster," she sighed deeply, "you would be a valuable asset to us."

Silence passed. I didn't know why until I realized Venus was looking right at me. I sent her a slow, careful smile.

She narrowed her eyes. "She could be useful too, I guess."

Wait a minute, this ghoul was familiar to me. Shouldn't she be worried about me like Abbey and Iris were? I didn't feel a particularly bad vibe come off her... I must have been on good terms with her before all this.

Iris ran to my defense. "Venus! She's lost her memory."

"Oh. I guess she isn't useful then."

"She will be coming," Abbey asserted from behind me.

"Alright then," Venus consented, unfazed. "Let's get going."

"But, Venus, I..." Iris avoided her gaze. "I just got here."

Venus stared at Iris. "Fine." A grin crept onto her face. "You'll stay the night at Abbey's."

"But what will you do?"

"I have some business to take care of." And at that, the door opened once more and Venus exited the cave.


	3. The City

Cleo? Venus couldn't understand it. She was so sure she had been lost beneath Monster High, like other monsters. The Queen would never let a prisoner escape, so she must have been hiding somewhere. Five years have passed, and it took until now for her to make an appearance. Then again, Cleo was always one for the dramatic.

As much as Venus speculated about Cleo's presence, she was at a complete loss when it came to her depleted memory. Cleo would have to encounter one of the Queen's monsters for something that powerful to occur.

Venus trudged through the snow surrounding Abbey's cave. She ran down the slope, the spiraling mountaintop shrinking behind her. The sun began to set and Venus stopped to stare, awed. She sighed. The sky was the one thing surrounding the Queen's city that reminded Venus of the beauty of nature. She both loved and hated that the sky was it.

No, she couldn't think like this—she wouldn't allow herself to. The Queen did this. She got rid of all the forests surrounding her kingdom. Though forests remained elsewhere, these woods were what mattered most to Venus. They were her home, and it was destroyed. Venus clenched her fists. The Queen would pay. That is what mattered. They had to prove the Queen responsible for the wreckage of the world.

By the time night had fallen, Venus made it to the edge of the kingdom. She scanned the rooftops of the concrete city until she spotted a sparkling golden peak in the distance. Venus checked her surroundings and, after taking a deep breath, strode into the city.

Monsters of all kinds were bustling about; bumping into Venus on occasion but, luckily, paying her no attention. The city, as much as Venus hated it, was magnificent. Skyscrapers towered like mighty oaks and shops lit up every street corner. The city was a hub of electricity, a resource most everyone bordering the kingdom lacked. Past the skyscrapers, Venus could see the mountain far in the distance, Abbey's cave invisible to the public eye. Monsters laughed as they walked into a restaurant, and a young monster was hastened into an apartment building by his mother. Venus scowled at the sight of a monster with a smile on its face.

How could they be so clueless?

Rushing through the crowds, Venus kept her eye on the golden peak. Moving through the city was draining for the plant monster, yet of everyone in her group, she was the one who spent the most time there. It was her determination that kept her going; her desire for change. All the other monsters wanted to get cozy outside the city but it was Venus who wanted to keep an eye on what the Queen was up to. The others were already suspicious about her rise to power and that she may be behind all the strange anomalies since Monster High was destroyed, like all the elder monsters and more disappearing. But Venus knew there had to be more to it. Cities didn't just pop up in less than five years. Wasn't that suspicious on its own?

She shook her head, watching as the golden peak grew with every step. Venus was nearing the center of the city. Soon, the golden peak fanned out into the Queen's imposing home. Her Palace.

It was risky to be here—Venus knew it—yet she wanted to. But she couldn't just walk through the front gates and expect to be welcomed. No, she'd have to enter another way.

-.-.-.-

Venus stood leaning against a tree in the Queen's garden. It was winter, so everything in it was gray and dying. Snow would've made the garden more pleasant but, around here, all besides the mountain Abbey lived on lacked snow. Venus was putting herself at greater risk being on Palace grounds, but it was the only way she would see anyone. No, she didn't want to invade the Palace. She just wanted to see someone— _anyone_ —even though it was for a selfish and petty reason: causing them to feel guilty... somehow. Venus almost resented herself for thinking in such a way, but she was tired. She was sick of waiting and feeling drained for a cause she'd been believing in longer than her friends. She'd been keeping an eye on the Queen for years... She could put herself at a greater risk just this once, right? Venus sighed deeply, her breath resembling a puff of smoke in the winter air.

Footsteps.

She instantly climbed the tree and waited, surveying what lay below. A dark figure in a simple, long-sleeved black outfit appeared in the moonlit garden. The Queen's circular gold insignia flashed on the right shoulder of his uniform. Venus leaped down from the tree. The monster was behind her in an instant and gripped her arms behind her back.

"What do you think you're doing here?" he whispered, so close to her ear that Venus felt his fang scratch it as he spoke.

Venus tried pulling out of his grasp, but her arms barely budged.

"I just came to talk," she squeaked out.

His grip relaxed enough for her to wrench her arms from him. She rubbed where he grabbed her and turned to face him.

Kieran Valentine.

Like any immortal, his main features hadn't changed. His visage was still slender and his skin was still a pale pink, but his jet-black, once shaggy hair was cut short. She almost didn't recognize him in his uniform.

"Valentine," she said, looking head-on into his rose red eyes.

"Plant ghoul..." he replied, expressionless. Valentine stared at her for a moment, and Venus could only imagine what she looked like to him. Her clothes were torn and caked in mud, not to mention her paled green skin and, where there was once pink in her hair, brown. Her hair had grown out uneven at the ends and tangled.

"I haven't seen you in years," he finally said. Then his expression shifted, a sly grin settling on his face before he swiftly turned his back to her.

Venus watched, irritated that he wasn't facing her. She looked below for a moment, only to see a black rose being held in front of her face. She gasped. "You shouldn't pick flowers! It kills them!"

Valentine chuckled, and Venus yanked the flower out of his hand and tossed it in his direction, only to have it fall limply between them.

"I'm not here for a reunion," she told him sternly.

"You said you wanted to talk, darlin'," Valentine drawled.

"Don't you get it?" she said, her voice rising. "You chose wrong. Sure, you started off badly at Monster High, but just as we thought you were getting better—just as we started looking at you as a _friend_ —everything goes to hell, and you choose the wrong side. You betrayed the monsters that would've been there for you through anything!"

"It doesn't matter," he snapped, crossing his arms. "I don't need friends. I just need to do what's best for me."

Venus crossed her arms. "And you decided to go to the Queen for that? You could've been with us."

He looked up, his brows furrowed as if he was planning a tedious task. "Oh, that's right... The rebels."

Venus froze. How did he know about them? How is it they were left alone for so long, yet _he knew_.

A slow grin formed on Valentine's lips. His fangs glinted in the moonlight. "I've known of them for a long time," he stated. "I'm not the head of the Queen's law enforcement unit for nothing."

Venus bit her tongue. The Queen's law enforcement unit was basically an army of vampires. The only way Venus could imagine someone like _Kieran Valentine_ being in charge was his status as an emotional vampire. Sucking blood, transforming into a bat—those were things any vampire could do. But hypnotism, energy leeching, and the way he would use other monsters' love for his own power... It sickened her. And the vampire army? Venus was sure it was a scare tactic. A tacky one. Especially with vampires being one of the few most dangerous monsters that look appealing in uniform. Only the best for her highness, the Queen.

She shook her head. Valentine knew about her friends. But how? "Why haven't you found us yet?"

He shrugged. "I already know where you are."

"Then why didn't you get rid of us?"

The vampire scoffed. "Not like you're a threat." He paused, staring at the ground. "I have nothing against you, darlin'. Or any of 'em for that matter. They were good to me."

Venus stomped her foot. "Are you kidding me? Y-you're working for the Queen. You abandoned the monsters you tried so hard to accept you, yet you're not taking their side?" Fury surged through Venus, and the next second Valentine was gripping her outstretched arm.

His rose eyes were wide, sliding past Venus' green limb to her fist, an inch away from colliding with his nose. He spoke quietly, his face downcast,"Don't talk about things you don't know about—especially me. You don't... You don't know anything."

Venus stared at Valentine's hand enclosing the vines of her wrist. Her jaw dropped. She didn't know what came over her. Venus yanked out his grip, limp arm swinging at her side. She took a breath, then scowled at the vampire, baring her sharp teeth. "Whose side are you on?"

Valentine looked her head-on without a hint of hesitation. "My own."

Before Venus thought about saying anything, her rage boiled over and her fist crunched against bone. Valentine stumbled back with a pained groan. Venus watched, blue eyes wide. This wasn't like her.

She shakily put her arm at her side, which had been poised to strike again. "I-I'm sorry..."

The vampire held his head in his hands, hunched over. He let out a dry laugh. "Didn't think a ghoul like you had that in you." He sniffed before raising his gaze, his nose unnaturally bent. She had broken it.

Venus struggled to get a word out to somehow apologize to a monster she detested, but instead she shivered. Her breaths came as shallow and rapid puffs in the cold air. She looked down at her hand, the warmth of her green blood trickling between her fingers.

"Venus?" Valentine's voice was faint in her jagged ears. "Are you alright?"

She whipped her gaze up to him, startled by his supposed concern. Unsurprisingly, his face showed none. Not a semblance of sympathy. Venus scrutinized the damage she had done, and her face twisted into a grimace. A dark, red liquid seeped from the opened skin of Valentine's nose. The blood fell to his lips and he ran his tongue across them, inviting it in.

 _Disgusting_. Venus couldn't help but think it. Vampires lived on blood, but rarely did they bleed—and Venus knew what it meant when they did. She pointed a trembling finger at him, wondering what on earth made her think to confront a vampire she'd never been friends with a good idea. "You've fed recently."

Valentine stared at her finger, red eyes round. Venus followed his intense, unnerving gaze and realized with a sudden dread his eyes were locked onto her wounded hand.

He latched onto it, squeezing her wrist so tight her vines' thorns punctured his palm, and she let out a squeak. "Do you mind if I get rid of it?" he asked quietly.

Venus' eyes were squeezed shut, and she cautiously opened them. She could see in his face that he was antsy and was using all his self-control to ask permission. This was new for him. He was almost shaking as he tried locking away his emotions. This wasn't like him.

Valentine may be known for his cocky, manipulative behavior, but everyone knew the truth: he wanted a connection. He wanted what he had taken by force his whole life: love. Valentine almost had that when he tried to make up for his sins at Monster High; he almost had friends. But his actions led him here.

His eyes left her hand, and the plant ghoul relaxed but remained wary. Valentine said he had nothing against her, but what about the monsters he did have something against? Or the ones that weren't lucky enough to give their consent? He had been a vampire for centuries, fueling himself with energy from broken hearts. It was likely he drank blood for obvious reasons, but even so, vampires hardly ever bled.

He was feeding.

A lot.

Was it the Queen's doing? Was she enforcing her vampires to drink as a way of maintaining their strength? By the look in Valentine's eyes, Venus could tell it was something he wasn't used to. A vampire on too much blood was risky, but how does an emotional vampire fare? "I don't think—"

"Valentine?"

The voice from outside the garden caught both monsters off guard. Venus heard footsteps, and she pulled away from Valentine and scrambled up the nearest tree. She peered between branches as another monster entered the garden. This one was female, ears peeking out of her voluminous hair. Werewolf.

"What the hell are you doing? I heard noises," the she-wolf said, her voice ringing with apprehension.

Valentine was quick to reply, "Don't worry, I was just... taking care of something."

The werewolf rolled her eyes. "Whatever. The Queen wants to talk to you."

Valentine's expression shifted for a second. Venus barely caught it, but could he have seemed... concerned? The vampire gave the she-wolf a curt nod and stuffed his hands in his pockets before strolling out the garden as if nothing happened.

The werewolf released a loud sigh before following him. Venus' eyes were trained on her back. _You betrayed us too_ , she thought bitterly. _Clawdeen, you backstabber_.


	4. Revelation

**Author's Note:** _*disclaimer: I do not own Monster High*_

 _I have so much more planned for this story. And so many characters. So many things coming. So many._

 _Thanks again for all the reviews! I really enjoy them. If you're still reading this author's note, wow. I know I usually skip these when I see them. Especially when I see the author telling me to review. It's like a youtuber urging you to subscribe. But now, being on the other side of things, I get it. And if you're someone who's reading this down the line when this fic's existed for months or maybe even years, I know I'll be 100% ok with a review even then. But it's up to you. The story's here so that you enjoy it :)_

 _Okay, enough about all that._

 _Here's chapter four..._

* * *

Sun's down," Iris remarked as she held the door open.

"Is only five in afternoon," Abbey replied, glancing at the beat-up alarm clock near the makeshift bed I resided on. Did that clock even run on electricity? It was probably the only thing in the cave that did.

"Fangtastic. When will winter end?" Iris grumbled under her breath. Abbey ignored her and ushered her mammoth, Shiver, to a little pet bed.

"How long do you think Venus will be?" Iris asked.

"How would I be of knowing?" Abbey retorted.

I was still wrapped in my blanket on the cot on the floor, the mug I was drinking hot chocolate from set to the side. Pulling the blanket around me, I rose from the makeshift bed. "Why does she look like that?" I interjected, glancing at the two ghouls for an answer.

"Who? Venus?" Iris asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, she blames it on the Queen and how she ruined so much of her hometown, but she's been a traveling a lot ever since she's joined the group. She's been getting herself in some pretty messy situations since then. Like this one time—"

"You need rest," interrupted Abbey, ushering me back onto the mattress.

I attempted to protest, but Abbey's expression looked so sincere and concerned as if she worried I'd fall apart. I nodded and sat back down on the cot, snug in the blanket around me. I wasn't tired whatsoever and, assuming these two ghouls' theory was true, I have been unconscious for five years. I wondered how and _why_ but, right now, asking questions I couldn't answer made my head throb.

"Oh, please don't worry, Cleo," Iris pleaded. Apparently, my discomfort was palpable to the two ghouls.

I attempted to show them otherwise, but they didn't seem to buy my sudden smile.

"We will rest as well," Abbey chimed in. "In fact, we all will be in sleep for the night now."

Abbey scurried over to a long bed at the edge of the room, its covers uncannily resembling her dress. Iris spread her coat onto the floor since I was currently occupying the spare mattress. As soon as we were settled, Abbey blew out the candle lighting the room. The cave blackened, and I inadvertently tensed. There was nothing to be afraid of, but my body acted as if there was. I felt fine. There was nothing wrong with being in the dark.

"Goodnight!"

-.-.-.-

It felt like I had been staring at up at nothingness for hours until Venus returned. Moonlight and a cold wind burst into the cave when the door opened.

"They went to sleep already?" Venus groaned. She closed the door, and darkness consumed the cave once more. I heard Venus scuffle around until a thump sounded and I jumped.

After what I assumed to be a few minutes, soft breathing joined Iris' gentle snores and Abbey's loud ones. Venus fell on the floor and slept. I held back a laugh. As odd as it was, I had to admit that it was one way to get to sleep. Everyone, even Shiver, was asleep.

Everyone except me, of course.

Left awake in the darkness, I had unwanted time to contemplate everything. It was more than enough to take in. Here I was, enclosed in an ice cave with sleeping strangers—or, monsters from my past, rather—and I had no idea who I was. Abbey said I was Cleo de Nile and, as familiar as the name was to me, it didn't quite fit. At least it didn't feel like it did. How could I have a name and not feel like it's mine? One thing was clear: I wasn't going to find any answers here.

After another eternity of staring up into nothingness, I rose from the cot; my foot hit the clock when I took a step forward. I took more steps toward the direction where I believed the door to be until I bumped into the icy cave wall. I placed my hands on the wall until I hit the crease that separated the door from the cave, and I opened it. Moonlight lit the room, and I giggled at Venus' slumped position on the cave's floor. I looked over at the clock and saw a few hours had passed since we went to bed. They shouldn't miss me. They're all asleep.

I'd be back before they knew it.

-.-.-.-

I was about thirty feet away from Abbey's cave when I regretted my decision. My clothes were not suited for this kind of weather: a short blue and gold dress with elbow-length sleeves and, unfortunately, made with thin fabric. But the gold belt was nice. Faded bandages were wrapped around my legs and the shoes, though impressively detailed, were high heel wedges meant for desert sand, not snow. I wondered how I had been capable of walking out of the room I woke up in, a crypt, with these shoes. Let alone be able to withstand the cold once I fainted... Thank Ra Abbey was there to save me.

Thank Ra. That seemed like a term Cleo de Nile would use. I smiled to myself. Maybe I was getting better.

Tonight, the sky showed only the crescent of the moon peeking out from clouds blocking the stars. The snow numbed my feet. I didn't know where I was going or what I meant by leaving, but maybe I just wanted to clear my head.

As if it wasn't already clear enough.

If I headed back to the crypt, I could try to open that sarcophagus again. Maybe the monster inside could give me clues about why I was in one earlier. I glanced at the sky as I ambled onward, but then my foot dropped into an unexpected patch of snow. I lost my balance and tumbled forward. Snow engulfed me as I rolled down the slope, and I was so numb I didn't realize when I finally stopped moving.

Shivering, I stood up and brushed snow off my rear. My teeth chattered and I couldn't feel my hands. I turned around to look back up at the mountain. Abbey's cave could barely be seen in the distance. I let out a shaky sigh. It would already take long enough to return and even longer to find the crypt. I tried to walk up the mountain, but I was so numb. What if I trekked up there but ended up losing my balance because I couldn't feel my legs? I shook off whatever snow remained on me, hoping that would help me despite the cold.

Just as I regained sensation of my limbs, an icy hand was over my mouth and someone began to pull me back. I struggled to break free but it was no use.

"You shouldn't be here," a deep voice hissed into my ear. I attempted to scream and bite into his hand but it had no affect on him. Then he released his grip. I was about to run when he shoved something soft into my face, and when I tried to get away my body grew weak.

I fell forward into the snow.

-.-.-.-

I blinked open my eyes. The floor was cold, and blurs of teal and gold formed into the decorations of a spacious, lavish room. My hands were tied behind my back, and my mind burned with an inexplicable headache. I began to stand up.

"Stay down," a voice—the same as the one who attacked me—said. I did as he commanded, fearful of the consequences. I lay awkwardly at my side as I observed what was in front of me. A—what was that? A... throne? Was I in a throne room? If that was the case then...

I raised my head from the floor and saw someone seated on the throne. She wore a long white dress with long sleeves and a teal trim; her hair was put up and on it rested an opulent gold tiara. Her outfit was stylish, but it didn't seem right to me. It didn't look like something she would wear...

I recognized her.

I wasn't aware of the name yet, but I knew her the instant I saw her.

Mint green skin, black and white hair... There was no doubt. This was the Queen, and I knew her.

Then her lips parted and she spoke,

"You may now rise before Queen Frankie Stein."


	5. Epiphany

**Author's Note:** _Hello readers :)_

 _Just wanted to say thanks again for reading and, since the story gets more hectic with details from here on, please refrain from putting spoilers in the reviews from now on. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

 _*disclaimer: I do not own Monster High*_

* * *

Frankie Stein.

I knew her.

My hands tied, I clumsily rose to my feet. I didn't know what to do, so I stood there staring at her and she stared back, sitting with one leg crossed over the other atop her throne.

Queen Frankie wore a lot of makeup, and I could tell she was hiding her stitches with it. She wore dark teal lipstick and something was off about her eyes... Shouldn't one be green and the other blue? At least that's what I thought, but the Queen had two blue eyes. Then I noticed a glint in her left eye. She wore a colored contact.

The only things that seemed right about Frankie were her neck bolts. They were exposed but gold instead of... What was it? Silver. I wondered why she changed herself so much... Something about her told me that she was the kind of ghoul to be herself and not change for anyone or anything.

It felt like ages before Frankie spoke again, her voice booming, "Bow."

I bowed, my bound hands straining when I did. I looked back up at the Queen, a look of contempt on her face.

She focused on something beside me. "Is this what you found by the mountain?" she asked.

"Yes," the voice of my abductor sounded. "Patrolled there as asked, your majesty." I turned around and saw him, a dark-haired vampire in a simple dark uniform. He looked familiar, but I couldn't think of a name. He certainly seemed strong enough to capture me.

"Good," the Queen replied. "I don't usually send the vampires to patrol, but I had Neighthan busy with something else." She turned to look at someone to her right; I hadn't even noticed him. A hybrid monster stood at the Queen's throne, also dressed in a simple dark uniform. He had gray skin, blue eyes, and long tricolored hair and tail. Pointy gray ears and a blue horn poked from atop his head. This was Neighthan. He looked familiar, but the name did nothing for me. Seeing him surely had an impact on me, though, because I recognized him right when I saw him. Weird.

Neighthan smiled at Frankie and reached out for her hand, but she raised it and he pulled back. Neighthan didn't even bother to look at me and just stared at Frankie with a far off look in his eyes. It was clear that he was in love with her, and the Queen seemed to be using that to her advantage. That alone told me enough about the kind of monster Frankie was: cruel and selfish. How could anyone love someone like that?

"What would you like me to do with her?" the vampire asked.

Frankie had a look of malice in her eyes as she grinned down at me from her golden throne. "Cleo, Cleo, Cleo..."

She knew me, too. The Queen opened her mouth, ready to sentence me to whatever horror she had in mind until the doors flung open.

"Frankie, do you need me to—Cleo?!" an astonished voice burst.

I craned my neck to see a thick-haired werewolf ghoul in a short, purple animal-patterned dress wearing heeled gold boots. Clawdeen Wolf. I recognized her from the dream I first woke from.

An abrupt hug from the werewolf broke me out of my thoughts. I felt like I couldn't breathe. She pulled back after a minute, wide-eyed. "I thought you died! When the school fell—"

"Clawdeen," Frankie snapped from her throne. The Wolf released me and wiped her tears before facing the Queen. "You're dismissed. Interrupt me at another time," she quipped.

Letting out a reluctant grunt, Clawdeen left the room and shut the doors without question. It didn't seem right for her to act that way, and I was puzzled until I remembered I had much bigger problems at hand.

"I want all of you to leave the room," the Queen commanded.

The vampire spoke up, unease in his voice, "Your majesty—"

"I can handle her, Valentine," she said while having Neighthan guide her down from her throne until she stood directly in front of me. "You may leave now."

Neighthan ushered Valentine out of the room and the large doors opened and closed again, leaving me alone with the Queen. She stood taller than me on extremely high gold heels.

"It must be strange seeing all this," she said.

"Seeing what?"

"Me."

"I guess... But I don't really know much of what hap—" I cringed as pain seared my head—another strange, new phenomenon I lacked answers for.

The Queen nodded sympathetically, but she didn't seem to be paying me any attention. "You must be uncomfortable. It's because your mind isn't used to the body yet. Have you fainted yet?" She sighed like she was remembering an embarrassing memory. "It gets better eventually."

"What are you talking about?"

She scoffed. "Have you even looked at yourself these past five years?" Then her expression grew serious. "How long has it been since you've awoken?"

How did she know about that? "I woke up this morning," I confessed.

"I thought you were in an eternal slumber like Cleo. We preserved your body anyway."

Wait. "But... I'm Cleo."

The Queen sighed deeply. "It must've been the magical energy that rendered you unconscious for so long... You must've gotten hit with the amnesia curse." She said it as if it explained everything.

I stared at her blankly, and she let out an exasperated sigh. "Do you seriously not realize you're not in control of your own body right now?" she jeered. "I'm not even in control of mine! That bitch is stuck in it!"

The Queen waved her arms around in frustration until her wrist stitches got loose and one of her hands flew across the room. She let out another exasperated sigh.

"My Ra, I hate this body." Then she looked to me. "I guess it could be worse." The Queen looked me up and down, disdain radiating off her. Then she smiled maliciously at me. "If only you could have your body back, then you'd be the one dealing with loose stitches."

Just like that, it hit me—"I'm Frankie Stein."

Images began to flood my mind. Memories. Flashes of meeting new monsters and walking the halls of Monster High, dating and friendship drama, going on adventures, helping other monsters... It was clear now.

I am Frankie Stein.

From when I first opened my eyes to the world once I was stitched together by my parents, to when I first started attending Monster High—it was all there and more. But I still had no idea how the world became this way. I must've fallen asleep before it happened.

"Ding ding ding!" the Queen—the ghoul in my body—drawled sarcastically. If I was Frankie and Cleo was asleep then the Queen must be,

"Nefera."

"Ooh we do have a winner, don't we?"

I knew Nefera was mean but this? I couldn't believe she had it in her. All she did was ridicule Cleo; she wasn't this bad. "What happened to you?"

Her face— _my_ face—became grim, and she avoided my gaze. "One choice can cause..." She looked back at me. "A lot can happen in five years."

"This is insane! What made you selfish enough to take over the world?" Another thought came to me. "How did you get the normies to agree to this?"

"Let's just say I wanted things to go my way for once," she said with a grin. "And the normies? About five years ago, when this wasn't a reality and Monster High..." She drifted off for a moment, and a sad looked came across her—my—face. I felt sorry for her for only a second until she grinned again, all hints of vulnerability gone. "There was a spell that separated the monster realm and the human realm. Back when it was first cast five years ago, it was just a small bubble on the Earth—about the size of a town—and the spell was still active. Now it's not. There shouldn't be any normies here, but I know for certain that there aren't enough left to go against us monsters. You see, the spell spanned the entire Earth with normies living on a completely different plane of existence. A parallel universe, if you will. So I can do what I want without pesky normie interference."

"And this led to you ruling the world?"

"My real control is here, in the city. But that doesn't mean that other countries don't agree with me for the most part."

"And Clawdeen... She trusts you?" I couldn't believe a friend of mine would so willingly follow such a cold-hearted ghoul.

The Queen nodded. "So do many of your other friends. They all seemed so eager to stand by your side. I have vampires as law enforcers. I believe you already know of Valentine?" Nefera giggled at my silence, using my voice, my body for all of this: to turn the world into her own personal paradise. Which reminded me...

"Neighthan... You're using him."

She laughed at this. "He's so pathetic! Every now and then he'll talk about the first day he saw you and how it was love at first sight!" she laughed again. I grimaced. I pitied Neighthan. "I also have his other hybrid friends working for me as well as Andy Beast, who isn't completely useless." My hands clenched into fists behind my back. Those were my friends.

The Queen strutted back to her throne. "You see, Frankie," she said, sitting down, "the only thing remotely good about your body is that anyone will trust you. And don't even get me started on guys. Do you realize how many of them have fallen for you? It's priceless!" She cackled on her throne as if she thought this was some sort of game. What happened to her?

"How..."

"Built a city. I didn't even bother with walls because one: no one will oppose me, and two: no one in the city leaves because everything they could ever want is right here. I own a city with no complaints. That is how everyone trusts me. How the world trusts me." She smiled victoriously. "I may have done things my way, but I'm not a tyrant."

I wanted to say something back, to prove to her that what she had done was wrong, but I was drawing a blank. Nevertheless, I kept the focus on her. "You built a city in less than five years?"

"I have my resources."

Silence passed between us.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Oh, I was waiting for you to ask!" the Queen burst out. "Not only because I can relate to the body switching but also because—Guards!" She pressed a button and called out into the intercom near her throne. Soon after, two burly monsters walked in and grabbed my arms. "You're no longer a threat." She beamed. "You know where to go," she told the guards. "Take her away."

Adding to my persistent headache, a bag was hauled over my field of vision. A malevolent grin on _my_ face being the last thing I saw before I was dragged away.


	6. Midnight

"Cleo de Nile? Seriously? I thought she was dead."

"Move out the way, Twyla! Oooh, this is so going on my blog!"

"Hush now, Spectra. The Queen wouldn't want news like this coming out."

"The truth must be told..."

"Fine, if you want to be sentenced to death."

Death.

Was that was what the Queen had in mind for me?

I heard voices fade as I was led deeper into the Queen's palace: Twyla, Spectra, and Valentine. It was nice to know that Spectra still had her blog. But none of them seemed like the kind of monsters to take orders.

My ghoul, what happened? I was just Frankie Stein, regular, everyday ghoul and then BAM—I wake up with amnesia in a world where Monster High doesn't exist and Abbey lives on a mountain by herself away from an enormous city ruled by a selfish queen prancing around in my body while I am currently stuck in Cleo's. And it's been like this for five years. That means Nefera has been in my body longer than I ever have!

My feet skidded the floor when the guards came to a halt. The bag was whipped off my head and I was shoved onto the dirt floor. A barred door squealed as it closed behind me.

"Have fun," one of the guards mocked, flashing his fangs.

"Yeah, you don't have long," the other chided.

They laughed as they left me in the cell of whatever sort of dungeon I was trapped in. I rolled over in the dirt so that I was facing upwards. A headache seared my skull, and I closed my eyes in an attempt to soothe it as my thoughts plummeted. Of corpse I would get myself into this situation. "I'm going to die."

"Not if I can help it."

My eyes snapped open and, tense, I sat up. "Who's there?"

"Relax, it's just me," a figure stepped out of the gloom.

"Clawdeen!" I cheered.

"Shh," she coaxed, standing in front of the bars of my cell.

I clutched the bars. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to get you out, Cleo."

Right, I'm Cleo. Or at least I appeared to be. "But you're with the Queen."

Why would she help me? Was she still the same Clawdeen?

"Sometimes Frankie is a bit dramatic." A bit dramatic? Clawdeen was more under the Queen's control than I thought. She pulled out a key and began unlocking the cell door.

"How did you know I was here?"

The door swung open. "Well she wasn't going to give you a nice, comfy room in the palace," she said matter-of-factly.

I was a bit disappointed Clawdeen didn't overhear the conversation, but maybe it was for the best. "Why would Nef— I mean, Frankie send me here? Am I going to..?" I gulped, dreading her answer.

"You're not going to die if that's what you're so worried about," said Clawdeen. "No one ever stays here long—that's why all the cells are empty. The whole 'death sentence' thing is just a rumor. You know Frankie. She wouldn't kill anyone."

I let out a relieved sigh. Then a thought occurred to me, and a smirk tugged at my lips. "Did Spectra start that rumor?"

She laughed. "No, but she likes to say she did as a joke. You know what happened with her and her blog."

"So that's what Spectra does?"

The werewolf nodded and grinned widely. "Same blog from high school. Well, after the whole 'haunting' fiasco."

I smiled. "What does everyone else do?"

"You remember Valentine, right? He got his powers back, so Frankie made him in charge of the law enforcement unit." She bristled. "It's _full_ of vampires. If I wasn't letting you out right now, Valentine or one of the other vamps would be releasing you soon. Still don't know why we bother to call it that, I mean, it's a _mouthful_. Law enforcement unit. Valentine is actually better at managing it than you'd expect and, as much as I don't like him, at least he's on our side." Clawdeen giggled.

I giggled, too. It kind of felt like old times, even though she looked a bit older and everything else about this situation.

"The hybrids live here, too. Honestly, I'm still confused about what they do, but Neighthan's the only one of the four who wears the uniform and the others help him out sometimes. Frankie also lets Twyla live here because she's trying to cope with not having normies to take nightmares from, so she's finding a new source to satisfy her. It's just not the same with monsters.

"I live here, too, but I help out. I'm a professional designer, but I'm still working on building my fashion empire. Andy guards the front of the palace itself but nothing really happens so he usually fangs out with the rest of us."

"What about your siblings and Draculaura?" I inquired.

"Clawdia's a screenwriter for boovies in Hauntlywood nowadays, and Howleen can't keep a job. She keeps insisting she can make it without college. As for Clawd and Draculaura..." A sad look came on her face. "I don't know where they are. I looked all over the city but... I've never found them."

"Oh, Clawdeen." I wanted to comfort her, but this was news to me. Two monsters I've known for a while now... gone.

She sniffed and put on a quick smile. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's been years since I last saw them. You need to go."

I hadn't budged. "What? I can't stay with you?"

"No, we wouldn't want Frankie finding out."

Frankie? Right, right the Queen: Nefera. I'm Cleo. Get it together, Stein. "Right." I needed to get back to Abbey's cave before it was too late.

"If you walk up those stairs," Clawdeen pointed down the dark hall; I didn't see any stairs in the gloom, "the door at the top will lead you outside and you can go from there," she handed me a torch from the wall beside my cell door. She smiled. "You didn't think I'd forget you were afraid of the dark, did you?"

I was about to tell her that the dark didn't scare me until I remembered that I was in Cleo's body. _Cleo_ was afraid of the dark.

"Thanks, Clawdeen."

"Hey, what are beasties for?"

The torchlight reflected the glimmer in her eyes. She looked ready to fall apart. I hung the torch on the wall and hugged her.

She sniffled into my shoulder but remained quiet otherwise. The crackling of the torch's fire was the only noise in the silence. Clawdeen pulled back. She ran a hand over her eyes and managed an encouraging laugh. "Go ahead."

I flashed her a thankful smile, grabbed the torch, and sprinted to the direction she told me to go, leaving Clawdeen in darkness.

-.-.-.-

The door at the end of the stairs led me outside the palace, and I made my way to the edge of the city. Looking back, I noticed that the palace was sort of triangular shaped. I assumed Nefera wanted to make it pyramid-like.

I needed to get out of here. Though it was still dark outside, I saw the mountain in the distance and, torch in hand, ran toward it as fast as I could, my headache disappearing with each step I took away from the palace.

-.-.-.-

After a long trek up the mountain, I finally made it to Abbey's cave. I was relieved to see Venus and the others still sleeping. I made my way to my cot, careful not to wake the others or trip over Venus' slumped-over figure. As soon as I settled down under the covers, I checked the clock by my bed for the time. Midnight. I blew out the torch and set it by the clock. Tomorrow would be day two in this wrecked world and I could definitely use the rest Abbey had coaxed me about. I let out a yawn before my eyes closed, easing me into a blissful sleep.


	7. Shine and Rise

"Shine and rise!" Abbey chimed as she held open the cave's wooden door.

"It's ' _rise_ and _shine_ '," Iris said.

"Come on, we have to get moving." Venus tapped her foot impatiently beside Abbey.

I rubbed my eyes and sluggishly crawled out from under the covers. I desperately needed a recharge.

I mean, Frankie would but Cleo wouldn't.

I slowly rose to my feet and stretched out my arms. "Where are we headed?" I asked through a yawn.

"The camp," Venus stated plainly, arms crossed.

I froze mid-stretch. "Your camp? Really?"

"The smaller one, actually, the house," Iris interjected as she put on the coat she slept on last night. "We want to see if we can find anyone else in the city."

"Must look for more help in city?" Abbey asked, bringing her hands down and closing the door as she did. The cave dimmed a bit but was still well-lit due to the sunlight outside, gently illuminating its icy cave walls.

"We need all the help we can get. Even if it's not much," Venus told her. Her hair looked so odd, green streaks entangled with what were once pink locks now brown strands. Iris mentioned it had something to do with the environment being ruined, but I couldn't help but wonder if Venus was partially at fault. From what I saw, the environment didn't seem bad enough to drain out a plant monster. Venus probably couldn't handle it being wrecked in the first place.

My arms slapped onto my sides. "Alright then, let's go." I started toward the door until someone grabbed my arm.

"Wait a sec, Cleo," Iris said before scampering off to the edge of the cave and quickly returned with a thick, dark green coat. "Put this on."

Knowing Cleo, she wouldn't be caught alive in this. Come to think of it, she wouldn't be caught alive wearing her day clothes to sleep either. Luckily, she wasn't in control right now. I graciously accepted the coat and, after having slight trouble with the zipper, slipped it on.

"Ready, Cleo?" Abbey looked eager to leave. Before I knew it, a smile spread on my face.

"Ready," I affirmed. Abbey held open the door as Venus walked out first, followed by Iris, and then me. Snow crunched beneath my feet as I stepped outside. It wasn't as cold as yesterday, but that could be because I was wearing appropriate apparel for the weather this time. Remnants of the pink and gold sunrise remained faint in the sky above us. I heard Venus let out a sigh as she stared at it.

Abbey rushed out of the cave, the door quickly closing behind her. "I am sorry. Had to make sure Shiver would be okay when gone. Said goodbye." A frown flashed upon Abbey's face for only a moment until she regained her composure.

"Okay then," Venus had already taken a few steps ahead, "let's go."

* * *

As the four ghouls continued trudging through the snow-ridden mountain, Abbey fretted about what she was getting herself into. She knew about the rebels, yes, but she didn't really know who they were. Were they old friends of hers? Or former Monster High students she never bothered to talk to? Abbey was a teenager the last time she was around her friends and she didn't know if she would see them again. She avoided Headmistress Bloodgood's home and instead retreated to her ice cave as soon as the school crashed down. Abbey wanted to stay as far away from the city as possible. Frankie used to be one of her best friends; it still shocked her when she thought of her rise to power. Then again, her "reign of terror" only lasted about a year, before the city was built. Now she just reigned. Things have been quiet these past few years.

"Abbey, please, slow down," Iris's plea sounded from behind her. The yeti ghoul glanced back to see the other three ghouls clumsily plodding through the snow, Cleo especially.

"Sorry," Abbey said sheepishly, stopping to let the other ghouls catch up. She couldn't help that the snow terrain was her element.

"I knew this would happen," Venus remarked once she caught up. "I thought getting a head start would keep me ahead of you, Abbey."

"I guess not," Iris muttered while approaching Venus. Cleo was still tripping over herself in the snow, attempting to rush over to them. She came over huffing and clutching her coat.

"Sorry," she giggled awkwardly.

"Looks like your coordination has amnesia, too, Cleo," Venus joked. Cleo didn't say anything, and Abbey continued walking, this time keeping pace with the others.

By now they had made it to the edge of the lower part of the mountain and, once checking that the others were close, Abbey swiftly glided down its small, rocky slope to flat ground. The others soon followed, Cleo still looking like a newborn calf when she did. Abbey couldn't help but laugh. Cleo wasn't known to be clumsy, and it was entertaining seeing her flail around.

"Just a little while more and we'll be there in no time," Iris reported, oddly enthusiastic. The cyclops ghoul followed behind Venus, who had already started walking through the winter-dead grass. Abbey looked back at Cleo, who was still trying to regain her balance by the mountain's edge.

She caught Abbey glancing back at her and smiled brightly. "I'm fine," she assured her. Abbey came over to her and helped steady her. Cleo smiled in thanks, and Abbey smiled back, tusks and all. Together they followed after the other two ghouls ahead.

"Must be strange not of knowing," Abbey remarked.

The mummy's daughter sighed. "I guess. I remember, um, some things. Like you."

"You know I am friend?"

"Yeah."

Her response warmed the icy heart of the yeti ghoul. "But everything else?"

"...I sorta remember it," Cleo fiddled with her fingers as she avoided Abbey's gaze. Before she could ask more, Abbey collided into Venus. She tried to apologize but the plant monster waved it off.

"We're almost there," Venus told them. "Follow me."

* * *

In a field of dead grass and charred trees was a substantial plot of land where an average-sized house with an un-average appearance lay in the middle. A couple of ghouls waited expectantly at the edge of what was once the driveway.

"They should be here by now," a finned ghoul remarked. The ghoul standing beside her said nothing and waited anxiously.

The finned ghoul put a reassuring hand on the other's shoulder. "There's nothing to worry about, Rochelle. They should be back in no time, love."

"Lagoona..." the gargoyle began. She hoped that Venus had made it into the city alright. Rochelle was genuinely worried for her friend. As much as she wanted to go along with her, Rochelle knew it wasn't the best idea. Sure, she would venture out into the city when necessary but just the thought of it reminded her of Scaris, and Scaris reminded her of Garrott. Thinking about her boyfriend was never a bad thing—it was the only good news Rochelle received from her hometown after her parents and older relatives had disappeared—but the distance between her and Garrott was massive, and Rochelle had no way to get there.

"Are you sure you know where she is?" a hiss interrupted Rochelle from her thoughts. The werecat twins, Purrsephone and Meowlody, approached Lagoona from behind, hands on their hips.

" _Oui_. She has been with us this entire time," Rochelle replied by Lagoona's side.

The werecats shared a glance with one another, turning back to the ghouls with unconvinced looks. Rochelle rolled her eyes. It already took long enough trying to convince Meowlody and Purrsephone to come with them from the city. They needed all the help they could get, even if it meant including these two. Rochelle just hoped that Toralei would deal with them when they made it back to the camp.

"Then why didn't she come get us?" the twins said in unison.

Beside her, Lagoona let out a frustrated sigh. Rochelle frowned. Only a few monsters were informed of the mission to find potential help from the city, Toralei not being one of them.

When they didn't answer, the twins decided to prod further, "If you know where Toralei is," Meowlody asked, her white hair gleaming in the daylight, "then why hasn't she come to us?"

"Yeah," Purrsephone interjected, "it's been five years."

"Look," Lagoona said sternly, "a lot has happened. Unlike you two, Toralei knows it's better to stay out of the Queen's city."

"So you just took her along with you?" Meowlody asked accusingly.

" _Non_ ," Rochelle put in, "she decided to come with all of us. Toralei is very glad she made the _décision_ to, too."

The twins scoffed.

Rochelle was worried they might continue their pointless argument, but instead, they crossed their arms and headed inside the house, tails swaying rhythmically with one another. Meowlody and Purrsephone still had coordinating black, white, and red outfits, but their once long hair was cut short at the shoulders of each. That was about the only thing Rochelle saw in them that was different. Physically.

"Those two haven't changed at all," she remarked.

"Sure haven't," Lagoona agreed, shaking her head. "I'm just glad Toralei isn't as bad as she was," she admitted.

Rochelle nodded. "Of all monsters, no?"

A call came from beyond the house, "We're back!"

* * *

As we approached the house, I let the other three ghouls walk ahead of me as I hung back, anxiety suddenly taking over me. Which monsters would I run into?

The house had a gothic-Victorian sort of style and was tall enough for two stories. It looked like one of those homes where the attic could be used as a spare bedroom. There was a small wooden building near the house, too, that resembled a place where one would keep animals.

In the past, the house must've been impressive but to see it now... It looked like the earthquake that had caused Monster High to fall had spread out here, too. Not only that, but the paint was peeling and the flora about the lawn was blackened and charred.

Abbey walked just ahead of me, and I saw a flash of blue when someone rushed toward us, only to collide with the yeti ghoul. Abbey was left standing but the other ghoul had fallen to her rear onto the dirt. Abbey gasped and I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

Lagoona.

"Abbey!" The sea monster rose up from the ground and embraced the frosty monster. Abbey looked just as frozen as her scaritage claimed her to be. "It's so great to see you, love. It's been too long!"

I was thrilled to see Lagoona, even though she seemed to be focusing all her attention on Abbey at the moment, who finally returned Lagoona's hug. She hadn't changed a bit.

"So, Rochelle, have you found anyone?" Venus asked pointedly. I turned to my right and saw Rochelle standing beside the plant monster a couple of feet ahead of me. Another smile crossed my face. Rochelle.

"Er, a couple," Rochelle said, her French accent tinting her words like candles in a dark room.

As if on cue, the "couple" Rochelle mentioned approached us. Though their hair was shorter and they looked just a tad bit older, I recognized them immediately: Meowlody and Purrsephone. They weren't close friends of mine—ever—but it was still nice to see a couple of familiar faces.

I froze as they made eye contact with me, their red lips parting slightly. I expected them to say something but they simply stood there, their yellow cat eyes locked with mine. Or, rather, Cleo's eyes. As comfortable as I was in her body, it didn't belong to me and it was hard to remind myself of that.

I heard a loud inhale and broke my gaze with the twins.

"Cleo!"

I let out a yelp as Lagoona tackled me in a hug. She let go and rested a webbed hand on my shoulder. "I haven't seen you in ages! Of corpse, it probably feels like nothing for you, being over five-thousand and all."

I giggled at that. I was only a few years old, trapped in an ancient ghoul's body. What are the odds? "It's so nice to see you, Lagoona."

"You remember her?" Venus asked, coming over to me from Rochelle's side.

Uh oh. "Uh, yeah, we were really good friends. I mean, it feels like we're friends." I looked down sheepishly. I was never the best liar.

"Cleo has loss of memory. She sometimes remembers," Abbey informed Lagoona.

She took her hand off my shoulder. "Oh." I thought Lagoona might be sad about it but she put on another smile. "Then there's nothing we can't do to help her out, right ghouls?"

I grinned. She really hadn't changed. But something still seemed a little off about her. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"Well," Rochelle cleared her throat as she took a step toward us, "perhaps we can discuss more once we get a little more, er, sheltered." She pointed a finger towards the sky, and I looked up to see that it was darkening with storm clouds.

Lagoona nodded. "Let's head in, ghouls."

She led us to the house and opened the door, where we were greeted by a long staircase. I followed in behind Abbey as Lagoona held open the door for all of us. Rochelle moved to the right and we followed her, bypassing the stairs into what appeared to be a small den. It looked sophisticated yet comfortable, never mind the dust. A couple of the ghouls settled onto a couch while I sat in the nearest armchair.

"So," Lagoona sat down between Rochelle and Venus on the couch in front of us, "what would you like to know?"


	8. The Big Picture

It was still raining, and we ate lunch from cans. I couldn't tell what was in them, but I ate it anyway. Lagoona and Rochelle talked to us about the mission to recruit more monsters to help with the rebel movement. They explained to Abbey and me how their group came to be in the first place.

Originally, they weren't rebels. They were just former Monster High students trying to find a place in this new world. It took about a year for them to settle down. When the Queen began taking more control, they decided to stick together instead.

"She's been suspicious since the beginning," Rochelle said grimly. Lagoona's expression looked just as sullen.

"It wasn't like her to take over the way she did," the sea ghoul said. "She ought'a have had something else helping her out."

"Like the dome," Iris intervened. "It covered the earth, and only monsters were left."

"Dome?" I asked.

"There was this dome thing that appeared when the school crashed down," Iris explained. "It was this big purple light in the sky and then it just spanned across it over time. We didn't realize what it did until it covered New Salem."

"Normies just... left. We were—are—in a monster world," added Lagoona.

"By the time the dome finished spreading," Venus said, "the human realm and the monster realm were separated. Everyone was stuck where they were."

I nodded. This is what Nefera told me about.

"We don't know about it specifically," Lagoona said.

Rochelle shook her head, "But Jackson has a few theories."

I almost choked on my food. "Jackson?"

Rochelle nodded. " _Oui_."

"Boy, are you two in for a surprise when you see them!" Lagoona giggled.

"See them?" Abbey asked.

The other four ghouls shared a glance with one another. They turned back to the rest of us, Iris and Venus continuing their lunch.

"We have more important things to inform you of," Rochelle insisted.

"Couple months later, Venus brought news about a city that was built in place of New Salem—a city the Queen reigned over," Lagoona told us. "A lot of old places were destroyed or remodeled. Even our old neighborhood was torn down."

They explained that the city took up all the electricity in the area surrounding it, so it took a long time for them to cope without it. They had to take care of themselves before they went against the Queen, so they hadn't made their move yet.

"We're still not in the best shape but we're better than when we started off," Lagoona informed us.

"The Queen had declared the city her new kingdom and totally wrecked everything surrounding it," Venus said bitterly, setting her now empty can aside.

"How?" I asked.

Abbey shuddered beside me. "Fire," she breathed. A glassy look came to her eyes. "Remember seeing it from mountaintop." She suddenly became a lot more interested in her canned meal.

"It was a complete waste!" Venus burst out, getting up to her feet. "There was no point in doing that!"

"Calm down, Venus," Lagoona urged. Venus looked down sheepishly at Lagoona and sat back down, staring at the floor.

Lagoona told us about how Heath had taken up management of the encampment.

A laugh burst out my mouth.

" _Heath?_ " Abbey asked incredulously.

Lagoona smiled. "You'd be surprised."

"I already am!" I giggled, raising a hand to my mouth.

Abbey gave me a weird look but continued munching on her food.

Lagoona told us that they had been sending out members to check out the city every now and then. She said that Venus would travel to the city as well as a couple others. Lagoona took care of the house, and those who went to the city could settle down here when the camp was too far for them. That was all they were doing once they had settled down.

"But now we have a plan," Iris cut in.

Lagoona shook her head. "Not exactly, love. Let's just say that our mission to find the source of this messed-up world is finally underway. We're recruiting and we need all the help we can get."

"So let me make straight," Abbey said, "year one, Queen making name for self while rebels aren't rebels yet. Year two, Queen is queen while rebels are all together. Year three, city is built and Queen destroys land and rebels become rebels. Year four, electricity is out, rebels are having hard time and things becoming calm in kingdom. Year five, rebels have monsters travel to city and Queen simply reigns. Now rebels can put plan into action."

Iris nodded. "Pretty much."

"What were you doing, Abbey?" I asked while I stirred the mysterious contents of my can.

She shrugged. "Stayed on mountain." She gently clacked her spoon on her can now that she had finished her meal.

Lagoona reached out a hand toward the ghoul, trying to catch her attention. "You... you never came back, Abbey?"

The clacking noise stopped and the Yeti's daughter stared down at her can. "Was not thinking returning would be good idea."

"Oh, Abbey, you should've come back," Lagoona cooed. "The stables are empty, but your room's still intact."

Abbey lived on the mountaintop—I saw her home myself. But with the icy ghoul's reluctance to speak and Lagoona's pitying expression, I couldn't help but wonder. I surveyed the den. The home was elegant, albeit in bad shape, and the furniture consisted of dark purples and blues coinciding with silver and black. The style appeared familiar, but it didn't seem at all like a place Abbey would live in. There were also stables so, if Abbey lived here, whose home..?

My eyes widened as the realization struck. Abbey didn't live on her mountaintop during the school year, so this house belonged to Headmistress Bloodgood. But it didn't look like it'd been inhabited in a long time, besides that these ghouls were in it right now. Was Bloodgood just letting them use her house like this? Or had she moved away? Or maybe she had never left the school when it fell...

"So you really don't remember anything, Cleo?" Lagoona asked suddenly between mouthfuls of some of her canned food.

I shoved another spoonful of mystery food into my mouth when I replied. "Nopfh. Nufin." I wasn't comfortable with lying, but I didn't think it was right to tell them—at least not yet.

"Well, some things, yes," Abbey chimed.

I gave her a questioning look. What did she know?

"Like me. Friends," she said slowly.

I quickly nodded. "Yupf," I said, my mouth still full.

"So you remember other monsters, just not your life?" Lagoona asked.

Sure let's go with that. I swallowed my food. "Yeah," I said. "I mean it's clear but also not..."

"So what happened to you?" Lagoona asked.

"She woke up in a sarcophagus," Iris informed, messing with her braid.

Lagoona's brows bunched up. "So you were dead? Not just undead?"

"I was just unconscious for a while," I told her as I looked down at my food.

Abbey scoffed. "Five years long while."

"Like a coma?" Iris asked.

I began to stir what little food I had left in my can. "I guess."

"And you survived five years trapped in a sarcophagus?" Lagoona asked.

I put another spoonful into my mouth. Why were they so surprised? Cleo had spent over a thousand years in a sarcophagus. What did Nefera tell me about this? Right. "My body was, um, preserved," I said as I swallowed down the rest of my lunch.

"Fintastic," Lagoona exhaled.

"You don't remember the school falling down, right?" Iris asked.

Lagoona spoke up before I had a chance to respond. "I didn't see Cleo around that day," she stated. "She was sick for about a week before the school year started—or would've started."

Thinking back, I, Frankie Stein, remember that I was at school gore-rientation for the new students before the school year started. I don't recall anything after that, so that meant Cleo and I had switched bodies sometime around then.

"The new school year was going to start," Lagoona continued. "I was helping out with school gore-rientation—the whole student disembody was there. We were lucky it wasn't actual classes when the school crashed. Most of us were, I mean." For a moment, sadness had possessed the sea monster. A second later, it was like nothing had disturbed her shores and she was back to being herself.

"You two are probably tired," she said with a smile. "Rochelle," she turned to the gargoyle ghoul, "get these ghouls some blankets, will ya, love?"

Rochelle broke away from her conversation with Venus and left the den and returned with some folded black blankets. She handed Abbey and me one and we thanked her as we unfolded them.

"Hey, I'm pretty dead tired myself," Venus commented, heading out the den to grab a blanket.

"It took us almost three hours to get here," Iris noted, following after Venus.

From where I sat, I could see Rochelle walk over to open the door, letting in a chill. "Well, the rain is _fini_ ," she observed. She kept the door open and went over to the corner beside a floor lamp and grabbed a long gray coat and some gloves.

Lagoona clapped her hands. "Perfect. We'll be heading out then."

Heading out? "Where are you going?" I asked as I spread the blanket on the reclining armchair.

"To find new recruits, of corpse," Lagoona said as she walked out of the door.

"The twins shall remain here as should you," Rochelle told us, slipping the hood of her coat over her head.

Venus waved her off. "Yeah, we got it."

"Good luck with your search," Iris encouraged quietly.

Rochelle smiled before she followed after Lagoona, pulling on her gloves. The door slammed shut.

All of the ghouls prepped their blankets out and settled in. I took off my thick green coat and snuggled into my blanket, clutching my coat like a stuffed animal. I wonder what happened to Watzit, my pet dog. Well, kind of a dog. Did Nefera take care of him?

Thoughts plagued my mind before I ended up falling asleep. I hadn't realized how tired I was. The trek here was long, and I walked like my usual clumsy self. It didn't help that I was unconscious in another ghoul's body for five years. I stifled a giggle. It must've been funny to see the graceful Cleo de Nile being as clumsy as Frankie Stein.

The den started filling with snores and soft breathing—the ghouls were asleep. I yawned as I snuggled deeper into the recliner, my last thought being just how much longer I'd have to pretend to be someone I'm not.


	9. Disharmony

**A/N** : I'd like to start by thanking the readers, you're what keep me writing! Sorry for the wait; I'm sure some of you can relate to the hectic mess that is college. However, since today is my birthday, I've relieved myself from any work (really shouldn't but oh well). This is one of my favorite chapters, hope you enjoy it!

* * *

"But we need you. We need all the help we can get."

"Sorry ghouls, but I'm not interested in joining."

"Operetta, please."

"If y'all were really rebels, y'all have done something already."

"Operetta..."

Operetta shook her head. "I'm not a joiner. At least not to wannabes."

The ghouls looked defeated, having nothing left to say.

It was their looks that caused Operetta to recall the moment yesterday when Lagoona and Rochelle approached her. She hadn't seen them in years, and they were pressuring her to be a part of some group claiming to be rebels.

 _Please_ , Operetta thought as she looked out her apartment's wall-length window, soft sunlight streaming through it now that the rain had stopped. Those by-the-book ghouls wouldn't know nothing 'bout being rebels.

Beside her window was the organ she bought to replace the one lost in the catacombs years ago. Operetta sat on the bench in front of it, her elbows resting on the lid encasing the keys of the instrument as she propped up her chin with her hands. Her guitar was on its stand on the right side of the window, and long, spidery-red drapes brushed against it. Operetta made sure to deck out her new home with her style as soon as she got it. Red, black, and purple sprawled about the apartment's white walls in a remarkably coordinating fashion. As much as she loved her new home, the musical ghoul truly missed the haunting tunnels she knew so well.

The daughter of the Phantom of the Opera hadn't changed much these past years. No, she still played her instruments and danced even though so many unlife-changing events had occurred. She wasn't surprised when Frankie stepped up like she did. In fact, she didn't consider it out of character in the slightest. How she ended up rising to power was just the way things worked for monsters like Frankie. As much as ghouls like Cleo de Nile would say otherwise, Frankenstein's daughter hogged the spotlight back in high school, so why not now? The queen ordeal was a bit flashy, sure, but Frankie always got the attention back then so, again, why not now?

Operetta had always spent most of her time in the catacombs, away from all the monster drama going on above, playing her music and studying whenever a test was coming up; her only companion being her pet spider, Memphis. She went up to the surface time and time again, socializing with the other ghouls and sometimes even getting involved in some drama of her own—and, of course, for the school portion of her unlife.

Soon she spent less time retreating to the homey underground tunnels and more time above, being a gear in the machine that was Monster High. The only time she realized how deeply attached she was to the catacombs was when a delinquent ghost tried taking them back by challenging her to a musical duel quickly turned jam session. Operetta didn't think she could make a friend after that encounter, but she did. Then friendship morphed into romance which, nowadays, came on and off like a light switch.

"It's past noon," a voice behind her said. "Why aren't you playing?" Operetta turned her head to the translucent figure of Johnny Spirit beside her apartment door, his body hovering slightly above the white tile floor.

Operetta sighed. "Johnny," she said as she rose up from her seated position, approaching the ghostly monster. "Use the door." She pointed toward the locked entrance to her apartment.

The specter smiled coyly. "You say that every time I'm here."

"Which seems to be 'bout every day now, Johnny," she said pointedly, crossing her arms. Whether they were on or off, the ghost would visit whenever Operetta felt the need to jam with someone who wasn't an arachnid. After some time, he would start coming on his own. Operetta didn't mind his visits. Of course, there was the whole walking-through-walls thing he took advantage of but, otherwise, Johnny was good company. He came over so often that his visits were expected even on the days when Operetta found them most unwelcoming.

The ghost floated over to her organ, sitting at its bench and opening its lid.

Operetta let out another sigh, not turning back to look at him. "Why do you come here so often anyway?"

He chuckled as he played a key—G. "What kind of question is that?"

The ghoul turned around and rolled her eyes. "I just don't see why you can't at least call before you phase through my door."

Johnny raised an eyebrow as he played another key—E... sharp. "It bothers you that much?"

"I think I made that pretty clear, ghost boy," Operetta said while approaching the monster at the organ, her right hand on her hip.

"Okay phantom ghoul." He laughed and started playing the composition the two had come up with the week before. It was a simple tune, slow at first and fast once it hit certain intervals, but Johnny liked it more than Operetta did. She was impressed by his memorization of the piece, but his technique made her cringe. The ghost was an expert at the violin, of string instruments in general, but when it came to one of the simplest instruments, the organ, he was a little sloppy.

She shook her head. "Johnny, I can't watch this."

The specter grinned. "Then why are you smiling?"

Operetta hadn't noticed her grin so she made a show of scrunching up her lips over her teeth, only fueling his confidence as he continued to play. The ghoul let out a frustrated huff. She didn't know whether it was the music or the musician that had caused her to smile, but she wasn't going to let Johnny get the best of her.

"Scoot over," she told him, sitting on the bench beside him. The specter was still playing, and the ghoul lifted her hand, motioning him to stop. Johnny raised his hands in mock surrender. Operetta ignored him and stretched out her fingers in front of her, spanning out the intricate tattoo on her left arm. She took a deep breath and played. Her fingers glided over the keys, playing out the week-old collaboration she had created with the guy sitting next to her. It hadn't changed from when Johnny was on the organ, but Operetta felt it had improved now that she was in control.

"Better now, see?" she told him, playing out the song.

"Mmhmm," he responded simply, letting her play as he sat beside her.

Operetta was well into the song now and closed her eyes as music flooded the once quiet room.

"Keep playing," Johnny whispered. Operetta didn't understand why until she heard other notes join the piece. Johnny complemented each of her notes with one of his: a duet. Operetta smiled and continued playing, her arm brushing against the specter's leather jacket as the music superseded itself with two monsters as its conductor.

Time always seemed to fly whenever these two played and today was no exception. By the time they played the song twice, Operetta freestyled on the keys, and Johnny followed suit. They were creating their own song, this time hands on instead of sitting around with sheet music. Operetta's hands flew across the keyboard and she could tell that Johnny's hands were as well. But when she reached over to Middle C, Operetta felt the ghost's hand brush hers; she played the key, but he faltered, loudly slamming the D key beside it.

Her eyes snapped open and she turned her head to the monster, who shrugged at her look of disapproval.

"Let's play again," he said plainly, as if nothing major had happened—which was true, except for monsters like Operetta. Yet she couldn't help but grin at his easygoing attitude and was willing to restart their song. The ghoul nodded and reached out her fingers to the keys when a knock sounded: someone was at the door.

Operetta groaned and retracted her fingers, turning to glare at the entrance.

Johnny chuckled. "I guess that's my cue." He glided off the bench over to the door, hovering beside it.

"I don't see a reason for you to leave," Operetta told the ghost as she rose from the bench.

"You have guests or something," he argued, stuffing his pale hands in his pockets.

Operetta grimaced. "No, really, it's—what? Four o'clock. Honey is just here to take me to the early screening of the boovie she did camera work for. You can come."

Johnny sighed. He wasn't one for crowds, even if it was just Operetta and her friend. "I can just wait here if you want," he said.

"It'll be fun, Johnny," she urged.

"I thought we were having fun just now," he told her, glancing over at the organ.

Operetta rolled her eyes. His attitude bothered her; Johnny wasn't one to shy away from social events, even though he preferred being alone.

 _Or with you_ , a little voice in her head sounded. "Well, we can have more fun."

The specter didn't say anything and another knock sounded at the door.

Operetta sighed. "Come on, Johnny we can grab a bite afterwards or somethin'."

A slow grin appeared on his face, and Operetta knew what was coming. "You asking me out?" he asked slyly, which only led Operetta to smack his arm. He laughed and Operetta couldn't stop a smile forming from his shift in mood.

She pointed her index finger at his face. "You're coming, got it?" She opened the door to reveal Honey Swamp wearing a sludge-themed white dress and looking no different than how she did back in high school.

"Hi," Honey said, smiling at Operetta. Then her eyes shifted over to the ghost beside her. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt somethin'?"

Operetta's eyes widened. "No, Honey, not at all. But I hope you don't mind sparing Johnny a ticket 'cause he'll be comin' with us," she informed the other ghoul.

Honey grinned. "Y'all are in luck, I happen to have a couple extra."

"Thanks," Johnny said.

She beamed. "Not a problem, Mister Spirit. We should be going now."

Operetta walked out into the hall and turned back to lock her door. Johnny phased through the wall beside it, to which Honey let out a startled yelp. Operetta laughed and ushered the monsters down the hall so that they could make it to the screening on time.

"What's this boovie about, anyway?"

-.-.-.-

"Honey, those might've been the worst two hours of my life," Operetta commented as she and her friends walked out of the theater into the winter-cold city streets.

Honey adjusted the small hat sitting atop her bicolored afro. "Well," the swamp monster began, "the camera positioning was good, don't you think?"

"Sometimes too good," Johnny said with a teasing shudder.

Operetta laughed and Honey raised a hand to her chest.

"Well, I'm sorry but even the worst boovies need good camera work," she argued.

"I just hope it paid well, sugar," Operetta told her; Honey shrugged in response. Johnny cleared his throat behind Operetta, and the lilac-skinned ghoul turned to see him giving her a pointed look. Right. She promised she'd grab a bite after the boovie. She turned to the other ghoul. "Hey, Honey, thanks for taking us to the screening but—"

"Viperine?" Honey walked past Operetta, and she turned to see her heading toward a pink-clad Gorgon at the edge of the theater. Viperine hadn't noticed Honey, and walked right into the alleyway beside the theater; Honey stopped abruptly.

"Uh, I thought Viperine had work over in Hauntlywood," Operetta mentioned as she approached the swamp monster, Johnny at her heels.

"She did... She was supposed to be heading back to Barcelgroana today," Honey mused. "Come on." She beckoned the other two monsters as she pursued Stheno's daughter.

Operetta followed closely behind Honey, who stopped once she reached the edge of the building leading into the alleyway. She held a finger to her lips, signaling the couple to be silent. The two complied, now hearing voices coming from the alley.

Viperine's Spanish accent touched their ears first. "...and I just need to get some more of my things before I commit to—"

"You better hurry," another voice said. Operetta groaned inwardly. Lagoona.

"Please, Viperine. We would be very grateful," a different voice sounded. Rochelle. Operetta rolled her eyes. Those two were still tryin' to get monsters to join their little "rebel" gang.

"Okay that's enough eavesdropping for now," Operetta was startled as Honey began ushering her and Johnny away from the building's edge.

"Honey! What's the big idea?" Operetta asked, halting in front of the theater beside the ghost.

"Why, nothing's the matter." The swamp monster looked flustered as she avoided eye contact.

"It's just Lagoona and Rochelle tryin' to get monsters to join their little wannabe club. It's no big deal," she assured her.

Honey's eyes widened, lifting to make eye contact with the musical ghoul. Her voice was barely above a whisper, "How do you know about that?"

"They came to me yesterday, talkin' 'bout how they 'needed' me an'—wait a minute." Operetta crossed her arms. "How do you know about that?" she asked Honey accusingly, her eyes narrowed.

Honey didn't respond, avoiding Operetta's gaze.

"Spill it," the cerise-haired ghoul demanded.

The swamp monster sighed. "I ran into them this afternoon," she told her. "I plan on meeting them at their campsite later tonight."

Operetta raised an eyebrow. "Really, Honey? You're gonna get yourself dragged into that?"

"What's this 'club' you ghouls are talking about?" Johnny asked beside her, his opaque body looking paler than usual in the moonlight.

Operetta let her arms fall to her side. "It's nothin', Johnny, just a bunch of rebel wannabes," she told him.

The ghost responded with a nod of his head as if her explanation cleared up everything.

"Well, I believe they'll make a change," Honey stated, her expression resolved.

Operetta scoffed. "You can go on ahead and run off with those so-called rebels. Thanks for the screening," she spat. "Johnny, let's go." With the specter close behind, Operetta headed down the street away from the theater, leaving Honey alone at its entrance.

-.-.-.-

"Are you sure you're not too cold?" Johnny asked Operetta as he held open the door of the nearest die-ner.

"I'm fine Johnny," she said as she walked into the brightly colored food joint.

"Wearing that in this cold?" he scoffed, following in behind her.

"What, this old thing?" Operetta looked down at her dress. "Found it tucked away in my closet this mornin'; wore it to picture day back in high school—mask and all," she told him. She caught a strand of hair and twirled it in her fingers. "You don't like it?"

The ghost rolled his eyes. "All I'm saying is that that is the worst excuse for a jacket I have ever seen."

"Oh, don't pretend you don't love it," she taunted.

He chuckled as the two settled into a nearby booth. A harpy waitress came and took their orders, leaving the couple to themselves.

"Hey, Op," Johnny said after some silence had passed.

"Hmm?" Operetta looked up from her iCoffin to face the ghost seated across from her.

"We should play like that again next time," he told her.

Operetta smiled, thinking back to their jam session from earlier that day. "Freestylin' with you was fun, Johnny."

He grinned, a wistful expression settling onto his face. "Almost as fun as jamming together back at the catacombs."

The ghoul smiled sadly. "Yeah."

Johnny seemed to notice her change in tone and quickly changed the subject. "So," he began, "what were you saying about the 'rebel wannabe club'?" The ghost asked this meaning to perk up Operetta, but instead, her mood soured.

"Honestly, Johnny, they're wastin' their time. Tryin' to 'expose' the Queen. What's there to expose her for? It's not like Frankie's done anythin' wrong—what's the point in taking her down?"

"Take down the Queen?" Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow.

Operetta nodded. "The idea's crazier than a bag of bats."

Johnny ran a hand through his thick violet hair before leaning back in the booth without a word.

The ghoul sighed. "Whatcha thinkin', Spirit?"

"It might not be all that crazy," he murmured.

Operetta raised both eyebrows in disbelief. "What was that, ghost boy?"

"Think about it." Johnny leaned forward across the table. "When was the last time you—or anyone—has seen the Queen outside the palace? It's like she has something to hide. Don't you think that's... strange?"

Operetta did believe it was strange, but she hadn't given it much thought. She smirked at the ghost, leaning across the table so that their faces met. "What're you tryin' to play at here, ghosty?" she jested.

"I'm serious, Operetta," he told her with an irked expression.

Operetta rolled her eyes. "Riiight," she snickered. "This conversation is totally about joining up with those 'rebels'."

"Maybe it is," Johnny replied, looking straight into her eyes.

Operetta pulled back, appalled.

When she didn't say anything, Johnny continued, "You know as well as I do that something about the Queen isn't right."

She shook her head. "No, I don't." By then, the waitress had returned with their meals.

"Even so," he said as the waitress left the couple, "ghouls like Lagoona and Rochelle wouldn't be a part of a lost cause."

-.-.-.-

After their meal at the die-ner, Johnny had accompanied Operetta back to her apartment where she was once again seated at the organ, her pet spider probably scurrying around the apartment somewhere. Soft moonlight streamed through the window, reminding Operetta that she should be in bed. She wasn't tired, and she felt more comfortable near her instruments anyway.

Thoughts swarmed through her head, and Operetta wasn't sure what to make of them. One part of her was thinking back to her jam session with Johnny that day and—as infuriating as he was earlier—how hauntingly killer he looked, making Operetta question for what seemed like the thousandth time whether she should get back together with him or not. She grinned to herself until another irritable thought came to mind.

Was the rebel thing for real?

Operetta didn't see anything wrong with the way the Queen ruled, but a part of her knew Johnny was right. Ghouls like Lagoona and Rochelle wouldn't be a part of a lost cause. The rebels had to have a reason for banding to take down the Queen, even if she wasn't aware of that reason. After a few more minutes of contemplation, Operetta let out an exasperated sigh.

"Honest to claw, this is like joining the SKRM team all over again." She took out her iCoffin and dialed. The ghoul picked up after a couple rings.

"Operetta?" Honey Swamp's southern-laced accent sounded confused. "Why are you calling me now?"

"Are you heading out?" Operetta asked.

"Heading out?"

"To, you know, meet up," she told her.

"I," Operetta heard Honey let out a tired sigh on the other side. "Yes," she admitted. "Why?"

"'Cause..." Operetta started slowly, "I'm comin' with you."

There was a pause on the other end. "Really?"

Operetta sighed. "Yeah, Honey."

"That's wonderful, Operetta!"

"Just stop by my place, first," she told her.

"Oh, of corpse, Operetta! I'll be there as soon as I can!"

The Phantom's daughter smiled at the other ghoul's excitement. "See you later," she concluded, ending her call with the swamp monster.

Operetta stood up from the organ's bench; she had to get packing. But first, she began to dial on her iCoffin. She had to make another call.

-.-.-.-

Johnny came before Honey did, phasing through the door instead of using it, much to the musical ghoul's displeasure. Operetta could understand why he came so soon, for the only thing she said on the phone was to come as soon as he could.

"Now it's time for me to ask you..." he said cautiously. "Why am I here?"

Operetta smiled as she approached the ghost's lucid outline, filling him in on what she planned to do.

He groaned in frustration. "I haven't packed."

"You're a ghost," the ghoul said flippantly. "What would you need?"

Johnny stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You could've at least told me to bring my violin," he argued, and Operetta snickered at his discomfort.

A knock sounded at the door, and Operetta opened it to once again reveal Honey Swamp, this time toting a suitcase beside her.

"Ready?" she asked expectantly.

Operetta nodded and, her own suitcase trailing behind her, walked into the hallway. She made sure Memphis had everything he needed to survive without her, even though her pet arachnid was adept at living on his own. Operetta locked the door to her apartment, Johnny phasing through it just as she pulled the key out.

"Gah!" Operetta yelped as she jumped back. "Johnny! Use the door!"

The ghost gave her a coy grin while Honey giggled. Operetta sighed and rolled her eyes. "Alright Honey," she turned to the other ghoul, "where to?"


	10. Insight

Power.

She had it. Finally.

Years upon years of jealously toward her sister _over._ She got what she wanted. They both did.

But power didn't stop the loneliness. It crept upon her slowly yet more overbearing each day. And when she spent hours tucked in a corner crying, Whisp realized why she was created in the first place.

Then, like fate, the lamp trembled, and she was overjoyed to burst out and say, "Hello, Finder."

His bright red eyes had grown wide at the sight of her. His name was Kieran Valentine, and they would soon become the best of friends. Even when his wishes were completed, they kept in touch through their iCoffins.

Whisp would never be lonely again.

She was mid-conversation with her vampire friend when the next Finder came along. This time, it was Whisp's turn to be stunned. The ghoul was intimidatingly gorgeous. The genie didn't get a chance to greet her new master before the ghoul began spewing out wishes. Whisp had complied, knowing there was no chance she'd ever be friends with this ghoul. She was never more eager to get thirteen wishes over with.

Down to the last three, the Finder stunned Whisp with her next wishes. She didn't wish for shoes or clothes or other minuscule and vapid things. No. For her last few wishes, Nefera de Nile wanted more. When Whisp was led into a vast room filled with ancient Egyptian idols, charms, and amulets, she knew she was in for trouble.

And there was nothing she could do to get out of it.

* * *

I woke up with a start and abruptly sat up, thoughts flooding my mind along with an inexplicable, yet reminiscent pain. Why did I, Frankie Stein, have a dream about Whisp? It was so bizarre... Were those memories? I didn't understand why I was getting memories when I already knew who I was.

I held my hands to my face. Maybe Whisp was trying to tell me something. But how? No one had mentioned her. I'm sure Iris would've told me if they had a genie on their side, or even on the Queen's. So if Whisp wasn't around then... I dropped my head back in frustration. Was she communicating with me from... the grave?

Maybe I was getting ahead of myself, but it was still a lot to take in. As if yesterday wasn't enough. As much as I wanted to push these thoughts aside, I couldn't—especially with a headache settling in. Alone in the now dark den, I reassessed the dream. Whisp was discovered by Nefera, so she likely used Whisp to create what we have today using wishes with charms, idols, and amulets. Genie magic could do a lot of things, but not without some extra power.

But if I remember anything from Cleo, it's that they come with curses. How did Whisp make sure Nefera wasn't cursed? Eternal slumber, amnesia—

"The body swap!" I exclaimed in the dark.

The Queen told me Cleo was in an eternal slumber and that I got hit with the amnesia curse. I'm in Cleo's body, Nefera is in mine, and Cleo is in... Nefera's. I gulped.

Cleo was trapped in Nefera's body and cursed into an eternal slumber.

The thought sent chills up my spine. Whisp must've used her genie powers to make Nefera swap bodies with us so we would be affected instead of her... I understand why Cleo was involved, her being Nefera's sister, but me? How did I get involved?

Oh, who am I kidding? I get involved in just about everything.

I remembered so much of my unlife, why didn't I remember what happened the moments before I got cursed and placed in Cleo's body? I brought my hands to the side of my aching head, clenching my hair in my fists—all of which didn't belong to me. The last thing I remembered was being at Monster High...

I dropped my hands, completely vexed. I didn't recall anything past that. I didn't want to think about this anymore. A wave of relief washed over me as my headache dissipated. I looked around, thankful yet anxious that I was alone in a room full of abandoned blankets. I slipped out of my blanket and walked out the front door.

A light shone on the opposite edge of the house, and I made my way towards it. The ghouls sat on the dirt around a bright lantern as if it was a campfire.

I approached the lantern, where the seven ghouls listened intently to an eighth figure. "I am going to miss home, but I feel like I should do something here first." I peered past the light and saw... Viperine Gorgon.

A smile spread across my face. I remembered her walking around school with Elissabat. Abbey, Lagoona, Venus, Rochelle, the werecat twins, and Iris were all seated by her.

"Hey, Cleo!" Lagoona called out to me from her spot on the ground. "Come sit with us, love." She and Venus scooted apart and I sat between them. I doubted the real Cleo would be okay with getting dirt on her dress. I was suddenly grateful to have amnesia as an excuse.

The night surrounded us at all sides, pitch black all except the small lantern before us, casting shadows for the ghouls, light radiating on their faces from the flame. Looking up, the moon gleamed dimly, dark clouds covering up most of the stars. The dirt beneath me was dry and soft, but drawn like someone had come across it often. The winter air pricked at my skin, but the lantern's light was enough to keep me warm.

Viperine's platinum hair was straighter than when I last saw her and her clothing style changed. I was sure she wasn't wearing pants the last time I saw her. Her top was frilly and appeared to be light pink, like something she wore before. Viperine continued about why she wanted to join the rebels, the snakes in her hair hissing softly every now and then. Her reasons made my heart swell; they were fairly noble.

While she talked, a thought occurred to me. I spoke up at the soonest silence. "Hey, ghouls." Each one of them turned to face me, and I felt a little uncomfortable at the sudden attention. I started timidly, "I hope you don't mind me asking but..." I glanced at the others and took a deep breath before I spoke again. "What happened to our parents?"

At that, the ghouls avoided my gaze, deathly silent.

"And the teachers?" I asked again. "Headmistress Bloodgood, Mr. Rotter, Mr. Hack..." I trailed off, fearing I stepped over the line.

Abbey was the one who broke the silence. "Do not know," she said quietly, avoiding my gaze as she spoke. I didn't know what to make of that, so I cast a hopeful glance at Lagoona for further explanation; she immediately spoke up.

"We really don't know," she said from beside me. "It could've been the Queen or some other phenomenon but," she sighed, "we really don't know." She gave me a sympathetic look, and I brought my knees to my chest.

Meowlody interjected, "It's like all the legendary monsters—"

"And the original," Purrsephone cut in beside her.

"And senior monsters just—"

"Vanished," the twins said in unison.

"It all happened before the city was built so," Venus said on my right, "it could be the Queen."

The others didn't say anything, Viperine looked down and Abbey practically radiated with unease.

Lagoona put her hand on my back. "Sorry, love." It got quiet again, and I felt guilty for causing so much tension.

"Well, now, what's this?"

We jumped at the new voice. A figure approached where we sat, the light illuminating her face. I couldn't stop another smile from forming.

"Operetta?" Lagoona said seated next to me. "I thought you weren't a joiner." Her tone was serious, but the smile on her face said otherwise.

Operetta shrugged. "Got curious."

Lagoona laughed. "It's like SKRM all over again." She got up and hugged Operetta, whose style hadn't changed, but she looked a little older. Two other figures came behind her: Honey Swamp and Johnny Spirit, both not looking much different than they did when I last saw them. Johnny especially, being a ghost.

"Honey!" Viperine leaped from the ground and rushed over to embrace the swamp monster. "I didn't know you were coming, too." The two pulled apart and the Gorgon led her to where she had sat at the campfire and the two began to talk excitedly to one another.

Operetta pulled back from her embrace with Lagoona. "Hope you don't mind but," she looked over at Johnny, "I brought a date." I almost squealed. It was good to see these two still in a relationship. Johnny glared at her while Operetta snickered. My excitement faded. Maybe they weren't together.

"Oh, of corpse not. That's fintastic! The more the merrier," Lagoona assured them.

"But not too much more," Purrsephone commented.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to crowd the den," Meowlody said beside her.

"We can fit about eight monsters in there if some sleep on the floor," Rochelle informed us.

"But what about boy?" Abbey pointed out. Everyone turned to look at Johnny, his glowing ghost body looking awkwardly pale.

Operetta burst out laughing. "As bad as ghost boy here claims to be," she teased, "he would never..." She took a breath to halt her laughter. "Johnny would never try to hurt anyone of y'all," she assured us, her face stony serious. Johnny seemed to relax at her words. I grinned. Couple or not, these two were great together.

Rochelle stood. "I suggest that Venus, Lagoona, Abbey, Cleo, and Iris sleep in the den." She looked over at the twins. "As will you two." The werecat sisters hissed under their breath but didn't object. "Our newest recruits can sleep upstairs."

The others nodded, and Lagoona led Operetta, Honey, and Johnny to the house, Viperine getting up to follow after them. "Viperine," Rochelle called; the Gorgon stopped in her tracks, "would you like to fill up the den or be upstairs?"

"I already have my things upstairs so upstairs, _por favor_ ," she told her. Rochelle nodded and Viperine followed after the others, Operetta and Honey noisily dragging their suitcases behind them.

"What about you, Rochelle?" Venus asked.

"I am keeping watch," she stated.

"But—"

"We are close to the city; I wouldn't want to risk our safety," Rochelle looked determined.

Venus looked down as if she was debating the ghoul's decision. Then she looked back up at Rochelle and nodded firmly.

Rochelle smiled softly. "I will sleep at the base, _bien_?"

Venus nodded.

"You must be hungry, huh, Cleo?" I turned my head to face Iris.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked.

"A couple hours longer than the others," she told me, "which was when we ate dinner."

I wasn't too hungry, but we skipped breakfast so I thought it best that I ate. I nodded and Iris got up and scurried out into the dimness toward the side of the house—probably the garage. She returned with another one of those cans I had earlier and a plastic fork. I graciously accepted it.

"You're probably not tired, though, are you?" she asked.

I swallowed a bite and giggled. "No. I just woke up." I knew that Cleo would say that with a glare or an eye roll like the question was unnecessary.

Frankie Stein's mannerisms being portrayed through Cleo de Nile... Will I ever get used to the thought? It was hard enough responding to her name, how much longer would I be stuck like this? My mouth grew dry with my next serving.

Was this my unlife now?

-.-.-.-

After staying up a few more hours into the night, we all got into our rooms for the night and I was once again snuggled beneath my blanket on the recliner. The den promptly filled will snoring and soft breathing, me being the only one left awake. In the den, that is.

I overheard the monsters in the room above us, Honey and Viperine chatting away while Johnny and Operetta sometimes seemed to be arguing one second and then laughing the next. Then all their voices would collide and there'd be squeals and laughter. I tried falling asleep but the noises around me didn't help.

At one point, they got a bit too loud and Rochelle marched into the house and scolded them. They got quiet instantly and I heard Rochelle say " _Bonne nuit_ ," which either meant "good night" or "speak again and you die"—I couldn't tell by her tone.

I exhaled deeply, closing my eyes. My mind racked with thoughts of the dream I had, and I didn't think I'd fall asleep, yet it hit me like a hard wave.

-.-.-.-

"Come on, Cleo!" a voice hissed.

"Yeah hurry up and eat, we're leaving."

I opened my eyes to see the werecat sisters glaring down at me. The front door of the house was open, and light threatened to stream through the windows' dark drapes. Morning already?

Meowlody sighed. "Finally, you're awake."

Purrsephone handed me an opened can and a fork, and I reached out of my blanket to grab them. "Eat this and we can go," she told me.

"Go where?" I asked groggily.

Meowlody sighed in frustration and Purrsephone smiled meekly, quietly apologizing for her sister's behavior. "The camp."

At that, I rapidly stuffed food in my mouth. The twins waited as I ate. The rebel camp?

This was going to be exciting.


	11. Flickers of Light

**Author's Note:** Welcome to my longest chapter yet. I was going to split this but then I decided... _nah_. Enjoy!

* * *

Daybreak. Far from the city and beyond the mountain was the rebel encampment, a place a particular group of monsters called home. Monsters there built off the summer camp it once was, living in the multiple-room cabins.

Everything there was repaired as soon as possible and fixed up with whatever resources they could find. Bathrooms were limited but functional in a separate building between the two cabins. Behind the bathrooms was a manual clothes-cleaning station, where the monsters did their laundry by hand and hung them on a clothesline to dry. There was a dining pavilion and a smaller, closed building attached to it as the kitchen. There were a few other buildings spread about the camp as well.

Of course, there was a garden supplying fruit, vegetables, and anything else the monsters needed that could be grown. Meat and fish came in through those who'd venture into the city if they could get their claws on it.

Most food would last a good deal of time at the camp, even though it didn't have much electricity; most of it was for the fridge while the rest was stored up just in case certain monsters required it. Glass-encased candles and torches were used for light and a makeshift tool was used to move fans within rooms whenever it got too hot. If it was cold, monsters just had to bundle up.

The camp wasn't magnificent but it was home.

The monsters originally found the camp alongside a few normies: Clair, Chad, and even Lilith. They were the ones who mentioned a summer camp they had spent a week at that was both for normies and monsters. The humans were glad to have helped the monsters and had stayed with them for a long time. But one day, when the dome had passed over the sky, the normies traversed onto the human realm.

The camp was more monster territory than anything, so the buildings remained. There weren't any fences or walls, just a large expanse of dry grass stretching out around it. If one looked close enough, they'd see the grass touch the edge of the mountain far in the distance.

Right now, he was peering at the mountain, trying to catch where the grass met the snow. He sat at the edge of the camp on the dry, patchy grass, his legs spread out and his arms at his side, dressed in his remaining clean clothes. He'd been sitting there since dawn. Alone. It'd been hours now. The winter air pricked at his exposed skin, but he ignored it. He wasn't one to get cold easily, not anymore.

"Hey, Heath?"

"Yeah?" he replied, acknowledging the one who called his name, but not looking back to face who it was.

"I know you're waiting for Lagoona to come back with new recruits, but I was wondering if I could do something to help out."

Heath looked over his shoulder to see Deuce Gorgon, his snake mohawk lacking the flare it once did in high school. He looked tired—Deuce hadn't been doing much lately. Or so Heath thought.

He sighed. "I told you to stop preparing the meals. I can handle it."

Deuce frowned down at him. "I have to do something, dude."

"No way, Deuce, you have enough to do as it is," Heath warned, turning his head back to face the mountain. "You're going out on the search next week."

"But—"

"You volunteered to do it," Heath reminded the Gorgon.

What the monsters called "the search" was a task they had come up with when a group of their own went missing just a week ago. Just yesterday, one of their own went out to look but returned due to injury. Now, they devised a system: a certain monster would go out to look for them for two full days, returning to the camp before midnight on the second day. Deuce was about to put that system into action.

Deuce sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"Don't tire yourself out, dude," Heath told him. "Robecca got her gears all jacked up when she came back yesterday. You should be in prepared when you head out." He didn't hear a reply from the other monster, so he craned his head back, Deuce still behind him. "Go make yourself some breakfast and get some rest before Thursday."

Deuce looked down sheepishly. "Yeah, I already made breakfast."

"Good." Heath turned away. "Just go ahead and—"

"For everyone."

Heath whipped his head back to face him. As much as he appreciated Deuce's desire to cook for the other monsters as their unofficial chef, it took out a lot of his energy—not something he should be doing when he had such a big job next week.

Heath closed his eyes for a moment and let out a frustrated sigh. "Whatever, dude, just eat and go back to sleep."

Deuce nodded, and headed away from him, leaving him alone again.

Solidarity was a rarity for Heath. His peace ended the day Monster High fell. The normies helped the group of monsters a lot, but as soon as they vanished, he had acted frantically from fear, causing everyone to believe he had his head on straight. But he liked waking up early so that he could have some alone time, which was exactly what he was doing until he was interrupted. He remembered when he used to crave attention, but now monsters came to him instead of the other way around. It exhausted him. It surprised him when they decided to leave him in charge, but once he got things running around the camp, he realized how much everyone trusted him.

Heath didn't think he changed much in the past years, which was partially true. The fire elemental had become more focused, controlling his flames so much so that his hair hadn't caught fire in years—there was just nothing to be excited about nowadays. Also, why light his hair when he could concentrate his energy on a finger? But, sometimes, his self-control would cause him grief. His dad would've been proud.

Many monsters were impressed with his repression and how much more attentive he had become, but Heath didn't see much of a change because he didn't feel different at all. Sure, he was controlled and alert, but underneath his mindful and slightly stoic exterior, he was still the same Heath. Not as clumsy as he once was but still the same goofy Heath whenever it came down to it.

These monsters had always been classmates but now they were like family—that was enough for Heath. He lost his parents like everyone else, bringing them all closer, not to mention that they lived together day and night. Even though he knew the rest of the world was unaffected by the things the Queen had done—besides the magical realm-separation dome, which Heath believed was the Queen's doing—the monsters here were affected by what she did because it was what they cared about.

They weren't going to stand for it.

Then again, there was the disappearance of the legendary, more ancient monsters, which included the second generation's parents. But that happened before the Queen came to power. The entire monster world was affected by that but they moved past it, ushering a new era not much different from the last one—there were no normies, after all.

"Hey." Another voice interrupted Heath's thoughts.

"What?" he asked, turning to look over his shoulder. There stood Gory Fangtell and Bram Devein, wearing the most proper clothing they could find at the camp and a black umbrella held up between the two of them. Even though Gory and Bram stuck more to their own kind, the vampire queen, Elissabat, was lost beneath the rubble of Monster High, so they decided to stay with this group of monsters.

But sometimes, because he was the "camp manager", Heath would pass by the rooms at night and Gory's room would be empty. He'd follow a trail of blood to Bram's room and overhear the two talking, and sometimes crying, about how they let their unlives slip away. Sometimes their voices would sound slurred and dreary like they were drunk. Heath always let them have their time instead of interfering. They had an opportunity to move on, have an unlife, but they'd come too far to turn back.

"Aren't you going to eat breakfast?" Gory asked, her jet-black hair tangled and messy like she had just woken up. Even her glasses were crooked.

"Everyone's heading to the dining pavilion," Bram said beside her.

"They're awake already?" Heath whined.

"Not everyone, but mostly everyone," Gory clarified, already starting to walk away from Heath and dragging the umbrella away from her blond boyfriend.

"Deuce cooked it," Bram said dryly, a vague attempt at trying to convince him to join them.

Heath turned away and sighed, standing up from his seated position.

The two vampires smiled at his actions, Bram linking arms with Gory as they headed toward the dining pavilion.

Heath groaned under his breath and followed after them. It was a short walk to the dining pavilion—a short walk everywhere in the camp, really. It wasn't small, the buildings were just spacious, save the bedrooms, which could be considered spacious as well but only because they hardly had anything other than a bed and a dresser.

Heath had made it halfway to the dining pavilion when a ghoul's soft voice reached his ears.

"We're back!"

Heath smiled at the sound of Iris' voice. "Well," he mused, looking at Iris' bright green eye, "three days and you're still cheerful as ever. I don't know what we'd do without you."

Iris smiled. "I don't know what I'd do without me either," she teased. Heath couldn't help but smile. Iris, like most of the rebels, had become like family. He was glad she came back safely.

Lagoona, Rochelle, Venus, and a group of monsters walked behind Iris. Heath counted twelve heads, but he couldn't see all the ones in the back. The twins, and Operetta and... Johnny Spirit. Heath didn't want to focus on the ghost, recalling how embarrassingly terrified he was of him in high school. Heath recognized everyone there, but as his eyes scanned the group, he caught sight of a familiar white-haired ghoul. Heath's breath caught in his throat, a mix of apprehension and felicity washing over him. He heard someone gasp but paid no mind to it.

"Oh my ghoul," Iris said.

Heath's eyes still tried to catch those of the ghoul he hadn't seen in years.

"Heath!" Lagoona cried out.

He jerked his head toward the sea monster, her expression uneasy and her eyes full of surprise. A smile attempted to take over her lips. Heath glanced at the faces of the other ghouls next to her, all equally surprised. "What's the big—?"

That was when he smelled smoke. "Oh sh—!"

* * *

There was a sudden commotion when we had all made it to the camp. I couldn't tell what it was from where I stood behind the rest of the monsters. But when I peered over their heads, I noticed a small plume of smoke rising in the air. I poked Operetta's shoulder in front of me.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Heath's hair's on fire," she said while glancing back at me. "Dunno what's the big deal 'bout it."

"Heath?" No way was the guy I saw Heath. He wasn't, he didn't look—

Operetta grinned. I bet my thoughts showed clearly on my face. "I know right? Five years done him good." Oh my ghoul. "His voice sounds smoother too, dontcha think?"

"Well, deeper, I guess," I responded charily, really unsure what to make of this.

"Mm, that too. And he's taller," Operetta said, turning her head forward again.

I decided to turn right and walk around the group of monsters I had arrived with, bumping into Abbey as I walked out.

"Abbey," I called to her softly. She glanced over at me and I continued, "That's Heath. Can you believe it?"

She didn't seem as giddy as I was. She seemed a little uneasy. "No," she said, shrugging me off and looking in front of her.

I was confused with her lack of enthusiasm—I mean, it's been five years and it's Abbey but come on _something_. Then I noticed her bite her lip as she stood on her tiptoes looking over the heads of the other monsters. I smiled to myself. She was totally excited.

I walked around the other monsters and made my way to the front of the group. Iris was trying not to smile as Rochelle's hand was raised to her mouth and Lagoona started laughing, Venus giggling beside her. Heath looked frantic and embarrassed, a look that confirmed my suspicions that, yes, this monster was indeed Heath.

"Lagoona?" I asked the monster to my left. "Um, why is Heath's hair being on fire making you laugh? Why does everyone look so surprised?"

Lagoona put a webbed hand on her chest to stop her laughter. "He... he just hasn't done that in years," she giggled.

"Years?" I questioned, completely stunned.

Lagoona nodded, becoming more serious. "He's really learned to control himself," she stated. "It really shocked us seeing this just now." She glanced back at Venus. "But now it's clearer than water as to why!" she giggled and Venus smiled and rolled her eyes, looking back at Heath.

I did the same and saw the flames on Heath's head begin to die down. He stared off toward the group and ran a hand through his hair, tiny flames still flickering about in it. I followed his gaze to... Abbey. She was still peering over the heads of the other monsters until her eyes abruptly widened and she stood still for a second. I glanced back at Heath, a soft smile starting to form on his face. I looked back to Abbey, only to see her hastily duck back down behind the group. Heath's face fell and he stood there for a moment, his hand still in his hair, now fire-free.

"Heath?" Lagoona called, the fire elemental swiftly turning his attention to her.

"Yeah?" he replied, clearing his throat as he regained his composure; still looking away.

Lagoona giggled. I guessed she knew what Heath was so worked up about. "We have good news," she began. "We found Cleo!" Really? They found her—Wait.

Heath broke his gaze and swiveled his head over in my direction, his eyes locking with mine. I swallowed. Now I understood why Abbey got so nervous making eye contact with him. His eyes widened and he abruptly clutched the sides of his head with his hands.

"Damnit! And I just told Deuce to go to sleep!" he burst out in frustration.

Lagoona gasped. "That's right, she needs to see Deuce."

Deuce, Cleo's boyfriend, was here, which wasn't a big deal except for the itty bitty issue of a lab experiment ghoul being trapped in her body. No big.

I tried to sound excited. "Deuce! Seeing him sounds volta—I mean, um, great. It sounds great." My cheeks grew hot, embarrassed at my slip up. Luckily, no one seemed to notice.

"You're gonna have to see him later," Heath said as he approached me. Huh. He did get taller. "I, uh, sent him to bed kinda early. I think he stayed up late yesterday."

"Again?" Rochelle piped in, clearly frustrated.

Heath nodded. "I can't control that guy."

"Did I hear y'all right?" Operetta made her way to the front with the rest of us, standing beside Rochelle. "Deuce is here?" she asked. Rochelle nodded and Operetta clapped her hands together. "Killer! Now, I got another question..." she said, putting a hand on her hip. "Have the past five years been good to the rest of the guys? Please don't tell me it's just flame brain here."

Heath looked like he was trying to be offended, which seemed to be a hard task considering his face had turned bright red. Then a grin slowly spread across his face. "Smoking, aren't I?"

Operetta ignored him. "Glad to see you haven't changed," she muttered. "Is everyone here eating?" she asked, baffled.

I glanced over to see a roof held up by thick, brick pillars where monsters enjoyed breakfast seated on an abundance of picnic tables. On one smaller side was the place where monsters were served food—like a creepateria, except this food looked much more... tolerable.

"Yeah, everyone's eating breakfast," Heath told her.

"Breakfast? Just how early did we leave?" I heard a werecat sister hiss.

"Relax, Meowlody," Purrsephone coaxed.

"We're all tired and hungry from the walk," Venus stated, "so I guess we should go ahead and eat with the others." Then she glanced over at Meowlody. "And we left at five this morning," she told her smugly.

We agreed with Venus and followed Heath, Lagoona, and to the dining area. We grabbed some plates and silverware and waited in line until we got our meals. We all sat at conjoined tables together, Heath looking surprisingly calm sitting next to Johnny—I didn't forget how scared of him he used to be. Lagoona sat on the other side of Heath and Venus sat beside her. I sat between Abbey and Operetta, in front of Heath. The rest of the ghouls sat further down the table, with Meowlody and Purrsephone at the end.

"Cleo's memory is kinda fuzzy," Lagoona told Heath. "She remembers people but not much of her life."

Heath turned his attention toward me. "You do remember Deuce, right?" he asked.

I nodded.

"So do I!" Viperine exclaimed beside Operetta. "When can I see my cousin?"

"Soon," Heath assured her.

"Hold on a second," Operetta said on my right, "Cleo has amnesia?"

"It's getting better," I told her.

"So you know who I am?"

"Of corpse!"

She seemed to take that as enough of an answer and continued eating.

"How'd you find her?" Heath asked.

"Oh, I know," Iris interjected shyly from the other end of the table. She got up from her spot and filled Heath in about how I woke up in a sarcophagus and everything after that, informing all the other monsters that didn't know about my predicament as well.

"So Abbey found her?" Heath noted, glancing at the frozen ghoul on my left who looked really focused on her meal.

"Yeah," Iris said, returning to her seat.

Abbey continued shoveling servings into her mouth, Heath trying to get a response from her.

"Heath," Lagoona broke in, "mind if I show them where they can stay while they're here?"

Heath cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. We have enough rooms."

"I'll be sure to show them when they're done eating," she said.

I had finished, so I looked around the dining area—I heard someone mention it was called the "dining pavilion". I recognized a lot of faces. It was a lot easier to recognize the ghouls over the guys. Who knew they could change so much within five years?

My heart almost burst when I saw Draculaura. She hadn't been lost like Clawdeen thought! Robecca came to sit beside her; she looked like she was limping. I also saw Gory and Bram. They didn't look any different, but I noticed they were the only couple there. I also noticed Slo-Mo amble in and take a seat.

Then I saw Jackson walk in. I almost didn't recognize him. He looked the same, but older and his hair was clean cut. He still wore glasses and yellow, and he looked taller even though he still walked with a slouch.

Toralei walked in soon after, her tail swaying jovially. Her hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail. She had a sort of skip to her walk; she looked really happy. I wondered why. Toralei took a seat next to Jackson once they had gotten their meals, and they chatted excitedly to one another. Soon, other monsters joined them.

"Since when did they become so popular?" I murmured, curious.

"You missed out."

I almost jumped out of my seat at the voice behind me.

"Hey cous'," Heath said, acknowledging the monster behind me.

Wait, his cousin? I looked back to where Jackson was sitting, still talking with a group of monsters.

Operetta looked over her shoulder. "Been a while friend o' mine. Years been good to you, I see."

I shifted around on the bench.

"Good to see you, too, buddy," Holt said.

Wait.

I glanced back over at Jackson, then Holt. Lagoona laughed when she noticed.

"Told you you'd be in for a surprise!" she giggled.

"They're separated?" I whispered over to her.

She nodded. "It's a long story," she said simply.

Lagoona was right. If I thought seeing Jackson was a surprise, Holt was a whole other story. He was recognizable up close, yet older. He clearly hadn't been doing the same things as Jackson had these past five years. Lagoona mentioned Jackson being like a scientist, so I assumed Holt did the opposite around here. But I noticed both of them didn't have the eyebrow piercing they had when they were younger.

His clothes were much simpler than they were in high school, and his fiery hair seemed almost shaggy. But what surprised me most about him was his lack of headphones. I knew he had become separated from Jackson, but Holt loved having his music with him. I really wanted to know what happened.

"You guys just get here?" he asked.

"Yeah," Venus replied.

Holt nodded, and then looked down at me. "What happened to Cleo?" How was I supposed to know?—Wait. I really should be used to being called by Cleo's name and not my own.

Abbey turned around and filled him in as quickly as she could.

He shrugged. "Okay, good." His lack of enthusiastic yells was bothering me. What happened?

"Did you eat already, Holt?" Heath asked.

Holt nodded. "I just came to tell you that the fire in the kitchen isn't dying out. I could use some help."

Heath gave a quick nod of his head and rose up from his seat to follow Holt to the building attached to the dining pavilion.

"Why not be using water?" Abbey asked Lagoona.

"Fire elemental thing," Lagoona stated. "They're sorta fire-proof but since Heath is full fire elemental and completely in control nowadays, he can soothe external fires, too," she told her. "Just calm them down."

"But what of earlier?" Abbey asked. "His hair lit up on fire."

Lagoona grinned. "We all know why that happened, love."

Abbey blushed and started playing with the fork on her plate.

"If you guys are done with your meals," Venus called, "I can take the plates over to the bin. We reuse them." We complied and the plant monster took our plates.

"Is it just me," Honey said, "or do the guys look really good since when we last saw them?"

"Not just you," Viperine said. "Time is a blessing."

"You can say that again," Operetta said.

"Getting tired of me already?" Johnny teased.

Operetta rolled her eyes. "Just be glad you came along, ghost boy," she teased back.

"But don't you think it's weird," Purrsephone began, "that Holt was with us for over a minute and he acted so... _not_ Holt?"

The rest of us nodded.

"He seemed fine the last time I saw him," Operetta said. "It was before _everything_ , but he was alright."

"Huh," Lagoona broke in. "I guess he has changed since then. I never really noticed."

"Was it whatever separated them?" I asked.

"No, I don't think so," Venus said as she walked back to our table. "I think it was everything that happened while you were asleep," she told me.

I nodded. The wrecked world had taken its toll on everyone.

"You're right!" Lagoona exclaimed. "We all stuck together, but Holt wasn't as close to anyone here as the rest of us were."

"And Jackson didn't spend very much time with him," Rochelle said. "They avoided each other."

"Alright, I'm back," Heath said as he came back over to us, sitting across from me. "Hey..." he said while looking down at the table, "where's my plate?"

"Sorry," Venus squeaked beside Lagoona.

Heath glared at her. "I wasn't done."

"You looked done!" she retorted.

"You should at least ask while I'm—"

"Heath," Lagoona interrupted; he quickly quieted and she continued, "could I show them their rooms now?"

Heath nodded in response.

"Hey wait," Purrsephone called, "we wanna talk to Toralei."

"Yeah," Meowlody said across from her.

Lagoona waved them off and the werecat sisters scurried over to their old friend, her green eyes wide and her face a mix of joy and surprise. Jackson and the others just looked uncomfortable.

"Um, you ghouls are looking good after, uh, everything," Heath remarked.

Operetta shrugged as she stood up. "I know."

"It's been a long time," Heath was looking at Abbey again, who was once again being unresponsive. Then he looked over at me. "You don't look much different, Cleo."

"My body was preserved," I replied automatically. Also, this body is thousands of years old already.

"Right, right," he mumbled.

"Are you two done?" Lagoona called out to the twins.

They ignored her and continued hammering Toralei with questions.

"Were you here this whole time?"

"Why'd you grow your hair out?"

"Ponytail? Really?"

"What's up with the nerd?"

"Did he always look so good?"

"Purrsephone!"

"I'm just saying!"

"If you ghouls don't come here," Lagoona warned, "you won't have anywhere to sleep tonight."

The twins reluctantly split from Toralei and came over to us.

Lagoona smiled, satisfied. "Follow me."

Lagoona led us to three buildings. Two big ones with a small one in between; the large ones made from wood and the small one made from brick. The small brick one was the bathroom, split from the left for guys and the right for ghouls. The building to the left was the guys' rooms, so Lagoona showed Johnny where he would be staying before she showed us ours in the ghouls' building on the right. Lagoona called it the ghouls' cabin. It was just a long hallway with doors leading left and right. The building didn't have much of a foundation so there was some grass seeping through the wooden floor planks. The rooms all looked the same but the flooring seemed to be better there than in the hallway, so no grass peeped through the floors. There was one window in each of them.

Lagoona led me to my room at the end of the corridor. She informed me that there were spare clothes in the dresser in case I needed them and that the "laundromat" (which she clarified that it wasn't much of one) was just an area behind the bathrooms in case I needed to wash my clothes. The only spare shoes in my room were a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of sandals. Lagoona opened a drawer and set a small clock on the dresser that apparently ran on batteries small enough to sneak out of the city with. She told me lunch hour was at noon, dinner was at six, breakfast would be at seven-thirty tomorrow, and Heath checked on all the rooms before midnight on a regular day. Lagoona also explained there wasn't any air conditioning, so I'd have to cope with that. Then she left—probably to fill in the other ghouls.

My room was the same size as the others with wooden walls and wooden floors like the rest. Little glass covered candles hung all over the room for light, unlike in the hallway. There was a twin size mattress in the left corner on a metal frame that lacked sheets and blankets, so I scoured the dresser. I found some, but they didn't match, and I cringed at the color clash once I put them on. I guess blue plaid and orange didn't look that bad together, just weird. There was also a pillow in the dresser, so I put that on the bed too.

I didn't know what to do, so I lay on the bed, staring at the wooden dresser, its white paint faded and chipped off. When I checked it for clothes they weren't all that bad, just simpler than what we'd wear back at Monster High.

I didn't know what to think about the situation anymore. Right now I was just going through the motions, trying not to think about how bad it was that I wasn't in my own body.

A knock sounded on my door.

"Come in..?" I called out cautiously.

The door swung open, Holt standing in the hallway. I was really confused as to why Holt Hyde wanted to visit Cleo de Nile until:

"I brought someone who wanted to see you."

Deuce appeared beside him, his tired face soon overtaken with joy.

"You're here," he said quietly.

He stood frozen in the doorway until Holt nudged him in the room and shut the door, leaving Deuce alone with me. I felt really uncomfortable. It was great to see Deuce, he looked a bit older and just as good as the rest of the guys, but he thought I was his long-lost ghoulfriend and not one of his beasties.

So...

Awkward.

It was completely silent in my room.

He cleared his throat. "Holt told me you had amnesia..?"

I nodded. "But I remember you."

He smiled and sighed, relieved. "That's great," he said, approaching where I sat on my bed.

I pulled back a bit and his face fell. I'm glad his sunglasses covered his eyes—I didn't like seeing him upset.

"Sorry," he said, crestfallen, "it must be a lot to take in," he sat next to me on the edge of the bed, "being asleep and then waking up to all this with hardly any memory."

I smiled. It was nice that Deuce was concerned about me. He was probably the first one that understood the situation I was in. Well, besides the whole body-swap thing, that is.

He grinned when he noticed me smiling. He reached out for my hands but stopped himself. "Do you mind?" he asked warily.

Frankie Stein shouldn't... But Cleo should, and that's who I was trapped in right now. I nodded and he smiled, gently grasping my hands.

"Wow," he breathed, "you haven't changed a bit, Cleo," he said, softly rubbing circles on my hands with his thumbs. I hated to admit that I was enjoying it.

"You look..." I began. What was could I say that didn't sound suggestive? "...older," I finally said.

He laughed. "Yeah, I guess I do." He looked down at himself. "But I look good, right?"

I nodded and he grinned.

"You look tired," I remarked.

He sighed. "Yeah, I haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"Why?"

"I guess I'm kinda nervous. I have a thing coming up."

"What kind of thing?"

"It's called the search," he told me. "A group of us went missing about a week ago and we've been trying to find them."

"Who's missing?"

"Uh, I don't know if you'll remember but," he started slowly, "Jinafire Long, Jane Boolittle, and Clawd Wolf."

So that's what happened to Clawd. At least I knew that he and Draculaura weren't gone. Poor Clawdeen... She's been so worried about them.

"Do you think the Queen has them imprisoned?" I asked.

He shook his head. "We sent them the other way, the opposite side of the camp. It was full of normie stuff but now it's empty, 'cause of that magical dome thing that split the universes or whatever. We wanted to find out what's out there. That's why we sent out a group."

I nodded solemnly, taking in the possibility that they weren't faring well.

"Can we talk about something else?" Deuce asked carefully.

I smiled, relieved that he wanted to avoid the grim topic. "Do you still cook?" I asked. Deuce was the best student in home ick, so I hoped he did.

He nodded. "Yeah. I cooked the breakfast this morning, actually."

"Really? It was fangtastic!" I praised.

He glanced away bashfully. "Thanks." Then he turned back to me, gripping my hands gently when he stopped rubbing them with his thumbs. "If you ever need anything, Cleo," he said earnestly, "I'm here."

My body relaxed at his words but my mind was going berserk. This was a tough situation but, his ghoulfriend or not, I trusted Deuce. I was glad he'd be there for me.

But just how much longer can I keep this up?


	12. Lying Loyalties

**A/N:** A little peek at the other side.

* * *

Clawdeen checked the time on her iCoffin: past noon. Her golden designer heels tapped the marble floor impatiently. Clawdeen looked back at the other ghoul waiting and, as usual, didn't see her.

"Could you get out the shadows, please, Twyla?" she called aimlessly into the palace's large entryway.

The Boogeyman's daughter materialized and nonchalantly walked out of a patch of blackness. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I just feel better in the shadows."

The werewolf sighed. "It's fine. I'm just worried about Howleen. She said she'd be here by now."

"It's fine if she doesn't come," Twyla assured her. "I understand if she can't make it."

Clawdeen appreciated the younger ghoul's attitude, but that didn't stop her from being annoyed. "That's the thing, Twyla. Howleen said she'd come. She seemed excited."

Twyla wore a simple black skirt and a top Clawdeen insisted on designing for her. A sleeveless, blurple (as Twyla liked to call it), ruffle-filled blouse entwined with black lace on the ends of each cut of fabric. Twyla was also wearing a mint-green belt and blurple-colored heels but... Clawdeen was very proud of the blouse she designed for her, as she was of all her designs.

"Is that a new shirt?" Twyla asked Clawdeen.

The she-wolf looked down at her clothes and laughed. "This? No, actually, I..." She stopped. "Why are you asking about my shirt?"

Twyla didn't respond. In fact, she seemed to be gradually sinking into the shadows behind her.

" _Twyla_ ," Clawdeen growled.

Twyla sighed and crept out from the darkness. "I just don't wanna talk about it, okay? I haven't been home in a while. Not since dad..."

Went missing, Clawdeen wanted to finish. But she didn't. It was a sore subject for everyone. Because they were all gone. A lot had changed, but Clawdeen didn't like dwelling on the past—unless there was a good reason. Like when Cleo came the other day. The past had caught up with Clawdeen and, as easily as she could've changed Frankie's mind about imprisoning Cleo, she helped her get away.

Clawdeen wanted to move forward and pursue her dream. She was halfway there—nothing was going to get in the way, even if it was a friend she had believed to be deceased.

A loud knock sounded at the tall, silver-colored doors of the palace's entryway, and the heavy doors slowly opened.

"Finally," Clawdeen groaned. "Howleen, you said you were going to be here by—" But at the opened threshold, Clawdeen didn't see her younger sister walk through.

It was Andy Beast.

"Hey Andy," Twyla greeted the purple monster.

Clawdeen sighed. "Have you seen her, Andy?"

He scratched at his horns. "If this is the 'her' you're talking about then yeah."

The werewolf peered over Andy's shoulder to see someone else from her past.

"Skelita!" Clawdeen cried out. She ran towards the ghoul with open arms.

Skelita jumped at the sudden embrace. "Clawdeen! I didn't know you were here!" She returned her hug, and Clawdeen pulled back and smiled at her old friend.

"Where have you been?" she asked. "It's been ages."

Skelita laughed. "My home country, Hexico, _con mi familia_. Where else?"

"You could've at least called!" Clawdeen retorted flippantly.

"I tried," Skelita replied, entirely serious. The look she gave Clawdeen wasn't cheerful anymore.

"I—I'm sorry you could never get a hold of me I—" She explained her situation to Skelita. Ever since her parents disappeared, she had to provide for herself. One being to get a new phone, since she had the misfortune of losing it.

Skelita looked down. "I understand... But I didn't change my number..."

Clawdeen didn't want to feel guilty, but she did. She should've tried to contact her friends instead of assuming the ones she didn't see the day after Monster High toppled over were lying beneath its crumpled debris.

That could explain why the entirety of the city was able to move past it. The city. Clawdeen was fascinated by it.

Frankie took charge; she still saw that there was work to be done elsewhere. Just because Monster High was gone didn't mean its goal had to die with it: bringing monsters together. The city she built did that, and Clawdeen was happy to be by her side. Frankie would spend a lot of time alone but Clawdeen, being the loyal friend she is, stuck by her anyway.

Why wouldn't she trust Frankie?

Skelita cleared her throat. Or at least sounded like she did, being made of bones, "I'm not here for reunions, Clawdeen," she told her, looking back up at the werewolf, " _Mi hermanito_ said I was cooped up in the house too long so he suggested I travel. I wanted to come here, so I did."

"But why here?" Clawdeen asked, gesturing around her. "Why the palace?"

Skelita shrugged. "I was arriving and I passed by. _Es maravilloso_."

"I saw her and let her in," Andy said beside them.

The werewolf turned towards the monster. "Why?" she asked pointedly. "You can't just let anyone in, you know."

Andy nodded. "I know it's just that nothing ever happens around here," he confessed. "She looked harmless. Also, a little bit lost."

Clawdeen looked back at the other ghoul. "You're lost?"

Skelita avoided her gaze, slightly embarrassed. "I don't know my way around..."

"Don't you worry, ghoul!" the she-wolf assured enthusiastically. "You can stay here!"

The skeleton's eyes widened on her painted face, " _¿Aqui?_ "

Clawdeen nodded. "We have an extra room now, right Twyla?" she looked back at the other ghoul, who had started chatting with Andy.

"Uh, yeah," Twyla said as she faced the ghouls. "Hope you like blurple."

The she-wolf turned back to the skeleton ghoul with a satisfied grin.

"Wow Clawdeen," Skelita began, "this is amazing. You are _muy amable_."

The werewolf smiled. "I'll show you to your room."

She led the skeleton ghoul out of the palace's entryway down a wide, dimly-lit hallway. Metallic, silver stairs swirled into view directly in front of the ghouls at the center of the hall as Clawdeen led Skelita up them. They turned right once at the top and, after passing by a couple of doors to their left, Clawdeen stopped and opened a door.

"Here you are, ghoul," the werewolf invited as she opened the door to the room, "Make yourself at home."

Skelita smiled appreciatively as she stepped in front of the door. " _Hijole_ ," she exclaimed, "there is a lot of blurple in this room," she giggled. "I should be able to handle it."

Clawdeen grinned as Skelita towed her suitcase into the room when she walked in. The ghoul sat on the edge of the fairly large bed in the center of the room and looked back at Clawdeen, who remained standing at the doorway.

Skelita sighed and looked to the other ghoul. " _Gracias_ ," she told her. "I'm sorry we never talked earlier..."

"Me too," Clawdeen said.

A silence passed between the two, both avoiding eye contact.

"Listen," Clawdeen began, raising her head to look at the other ghoul. "I wanna know if you've heard from anyone else." Skelita turned her head to face Clawdeen when she said this. "Like Jin, maybe?"

"Jinafire?" The skeletal ghoul paused. "I haven't heard anything from her in a while..."

Clawdeen's ears perked up. "So you've heard from her? Anyone else? Like Draculaura? My brother, Clawd?"

" _Cálmate_ , Clawdeen," Skelita coaxed from the edge of the bed. "I haven't heard from Jinafire in years. I assume she went to China—"

"Fanghai?"

"—to be with her brothers," the skeleton ghoul finished. "As for the others..." She sighed heavily. "I wouldn't know."

Clawdeen smiled sadly. "It's okay, Skelita. I don't expect you to."

Another silence passed between them before Clawdeen spoke again. "Hope you enjoy your time here," she said as cheerfully as she could.

"How long can I stay?" Skelita asked.

"Twyla's moving out so..." Clawdeen pondered. "As long as you want, I guess."

" _¡Hijole!_ " Skelita exclaimed. "Are you sure it's alright with the mayor?"

"Technically Queen but, yeah," Clawdeen said as she fiddled with the doorknob, "should be fine."

Skelita smiled gratefully as she rose up from her seated position and approached the she-wolf. " _Gracias_ ," she said as she reached out to embrace Clawdeen.

Clawdeen hugged her tightly, her eyes brimming with tears. Then she noticed something. "You are wearing the same outfit when I first met you," she laughed.

Skelita laughed as well. "You definitely aren't. Your shoes are _muy_ nice, by the way."

Clawdeen smiled. "Dinner's at six," she said before she left the room, descending down the stairs and making her way back to the entryway, where she heard a familiar voice.

"It's about time!" Howleen called out to her older sister. "We've been waiting for _ages_."

Clawdeen rolled her eyes as her younger sister came into view. "Let's just go," she said exasperatedly, heading over to the silver doors.

-.-.-.-

The drive to the Boogeyman's abandoned mansion wasn't a long one and, after they talked for what felt like hours, Clawdeen dragged Howleen to the car.

"You sure you don't need help unpacking?" Howleen called out to Twyla while opening the passenger seat door.

"No, I'll be fine," she replied. "But thanks for dropping me off."

Twyla stood in front of the many doors adorning the tall and bizarre building as mist crept around her feet. Clawdeen hadn't been here in a while. The last time she'd been here was during the haunting mess. The other time was when Cleo released the shadow nightmares.

 _Cleo._

Remembering her friend's name washed a temporary wave of melancholy onto Clawdeen. Unlike the last time she came, it was day time, so the mist and fog looked really odd and somewhat tacky. As interesting as the Boogeyman's makeshift mansion was, Clawdeen didn't want to go inside or waste any more time listening to her younger sister and the other ghoul talk.

Turning her attention back to Howleen, Clawdeen worried she would begin another conversation with Twyla so, as fast as she could, she made her way to the other side of the car.

"No problem, Twyla!" the werewolf called out as she shoved her sister inside.

"Hey!" Howleen protested. Clawdeen slammed the door.

"Call if you need anything!" Clawdeen said while rushing over to the driver's seat. "See ya, Twyla!" she shouted before shutting the door. Twyla made her way inside as she drove off.

"What's your deal?" Howleen complained besides her. "It's not like we're in a hurry or anything."

"Yes we are, Howleen," Clawdeen sighed. "Clawdia came in from Hauntlywood yesterday."

"Oh right," Howleen said, "she wants to meet us at the Coffin Bean today."

"At two o'clock," Clawdeen reminded her. "And it's two-thirty right now."

Howleen didn't respond, and Clawdeen was grateful for it—she really wasn't in the mood for an argument.

The rest of the car ride was silent.

-.-.-.-

The Coffin Bean of the Queen's city wasn't a small one located within a maul. It was a large, and oftentimes crowded, building. After a few frantic apology texts to her older sister, Clawdeen led Howleen inside the coffee shop. In an instant, they spotted a familiar yellow-haired werewolf sitting at a table by a window.

"Hi!" Clawdia smiled as the two approached her, standing up and embracing the youngest Wolf.

"It's great to see you, Clawdia," Clawdeen said from behind her younger and older sisters' embrace.

"You too," Clawdia said as she retracted from Howleen and brought Clawdeen into a quick hug. "I saw you pull up," she said while pulling back. "Didn't want a hearse?"

Clawdeen huffed. "Hearses don't have as much style as they used to, you know."

Clawdia laughed. "Not for you, maybe. But, I gotta admit, I like your golden car. And Howleen," she turned to the other werewolf, "what's with the outfit, ghoul?" Clawdia gestured at Howleen's revealing clothing. "I know college has been tough but has the job hunt been that bad?" she joked.

"Oh my ghoul, no," Howleen replied quickly. "It's not what you think."

" _Mmmhmm_ ," Clawdeen mumbled, earning a swift glare from both her sisters.

"I'm currently in the dance biz," Howleen stated while turning her attention back towards the other Wolf. "We had rehearsal today."

"So it's a slut dance?" she commented.

" _No_ ," Howleen said, agitated. "It's just a dance!"

"Showbiz, Clawdeen," Clawdia said. "Sometimes that's just how it is."

Clawdeen rolled her eyes. "They could've at least had nice slutty outfits."

"Look at you two," Clawdia broke in before Howleen could speak up, "arguing already." She laughed. "You ghouls can go ahead and sit down. I'll get us some coffee." The older Wolf walked off to order some coffee for her sisters as the two other wolves reluctantly took a seat beside one another.

"Sorry," Clawdeen said quietly.

"It's okay," Howleen responded. "It's not the best outfit but, hey, I like it."

Clawdeen scoffed. "Please. I can design better."

"Can't argue with that." Howleen chuckled.

Silence passed between the two until finally Clawdia returned and set three coffees on the table. "Sorry but," she said quickly, "I gotta use the little ghouls' room."

Clawdeen was once again left with her younger sister. Not wanting another awkward silence, she quickly spoke up, "I haven't heard much from you lately," Clawdeen mused. "Does dancing and college really take up that much of your time?"

Howleen abruptly turned her gaze away. "Uh, no they don't. I just..."

"Don't wanna tell me, huh?" Clawdeen noted.

Howleen didn't say anything.

Clawdeen sighed. "It's fine. You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to."

"It's not that, Clawdeen." The younger she-wolf looked at her apologetically. "I just..."

"Just what?"

"Can't tell you," Howleen said while looking away.

Clawdeen brushed it off. "Whatever." Usually, Howleen bragged, but Clawdeen didn't let herself worry about it. She could go ahead and have her secrets.

The two were quiet until their older sister sat in front of them. "Alright you two, what's new?"

The younger Wolf sisters relayed the latest going on in their unlives. Howleen was very brief, so Clawdeen ruled the conversation, telling Clawdia about how she was progressing in fashion.

"Hey wait..." Clawdeen the corners of Clawdeen's lips upturned slightly. "You're wearing the dress I designed for you."

Clawdia grinned. "Yup." It was a simple short red dress with faded animal print at the end, to which Clawdia wore with black leggings and yellow boots, her curly blonde hair in a side ponytail.

Clawdeen also told her sisters of her unexpected encounter.

"Cleo? Cleo de Nile?" Howleen exclaimed with wide eyes. "Are you serious?"

Clawdeen nodded.

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah." She let out a shaky breath. "I don't know much about where's she's been or anything but she seems fine." Imprisonment wasn't something easily discussed over coffee.

"She was a friend of yours, right?" Clawdia asked.

"Yeah." Clawdeen looked down.

"You okay, Clawdeen?" Clawdia asked. "You haven't touched your coffee."

Clawdeen put on a smile. "I'm fine." She took a determined sip from her coffee.

"So what's new with you, sis?" Howleen asked Clawdia. The she-wolf beamed and began talking about the new boovie she was writing a script for and the ups-and-downs of unlife in Hauntlywood.

Clawdeen only half-listened; bringing Cleo back up forced her mood to grow somber. The conversation at her table began to mix with the chatter of the other monsters in the coffee shop. The sounds gradually muffled in Clawdeen's ears.

"Clawdeen!"

The Wolf's ears perked up and she turned to see her two sisters staring at her, wide-eyed.

Clawdia put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you feeling alright? You don't have to be here if you're not feeling ok. I'll visit again soon."

"No, no." Clawdeen brushed off her sister's hand. "Today's about seeing you, Clawdia." She took a sip of her cooling coffee. "So what's your next project?"


	13. Shattered

It was about an hour 'til midnight, the clear night sky blossoming with stars above the rebels' encampment. By now, the ghouls and the guys had gone to their rooms in their respected buildings–except for one.

"Uh," Holt stood confused by the Gorgon's door, "run that by me again?"

"I just want someone to look after her," Deuce reiterated to the other while standing at his bedside.

Holt shifted, leaning on the door frame. "Look after Cleo?"

"Yeah."

"But," Holt paused, furrowing his brows in confusion, "why are you askin' me?"

Deuce turned his shades-covered gaze away from him. "Well, you're the best one for the job, dude."

Holt crossed his arms. "No, really. Why me?"

The Gorgon sighed. "Well, you know, Heath is really busy running things around camp and I don't really trust any of the other guys here as much and—"

"But what about Jackson?" Holt asked. "You're better friends with him than with me." Holt wasn't particularly fond of the fact, but he had learned to adjust to the benefits his former alter-ego had and he lacked.

Deuce's eyebrows raised behind his sunglasses. "Jackson?" he scoffed, "We're good friends and I trust him and all but I don't think he'll take the time to watch over Cleo. Not with..." The Gorgon trailed off for a moment, then quickly resumed, "I just need you to watch her when I'm out."

"The search?"

"Yeah."

Holt didn't think the other monster had made himself clear. Deuce wanted him to watch over his ghoulfriend, but... "What about the ghouls?" Holt questioned.

"What about them?"

"They're gonna be with her," he told him. "They're her friends. She won't need me lookin' after her."

"I'm not asking you to be her friend, dude," Deuce told the blue-skinned monster. "I want her to have a..." he paused for a moment, his snake mohawk hissing softly as he thought briefly, "guardian, I guess."

Holt raised an eyebrow. "You want me to be her watchdog?"

"Come on, dude, it's just two days. I'd feel a lot better if I knew someone was keeping her safe."

Holt opened his mouth to protest. "But everyone here—"

"Someone who doesn't have anything else to do but _be sure she's safe_."

Holt was a little taken aback by the Gorgon's tone, but then sighed as he came to a realization. "So that's why you asked me." The other didn't respond, so he continued. "I'm not managing the place like Heath or genius-ing it up like Jackson."

The normie had come up with many ideas to keep the monsters' home functional, all of which successful. He still had more on the way and was encouraged to focus on such tasks. Holt, on the other hand, did more of the heavy lifting around camp along with most of the other guys. He had never left the camp.

"It's not just that," Deuce assured him. "You can relate to her, considering what she's going through. And I trust you."

Holt pursed his lips, holding back any more opposition. He knew it was pointless to argue. He knew how much Cleo meant to Deuce. He sighed. "Alright, sure."

Deuce exhaled in relief. "Thanks, dude. I owe you."

Holt frowned. "No, you don't."

It seemed to take a couple seconds for Deuce to process what Holt meant, and the corner of his lips edged upward once he had. "Thanks," he said appreciatively, placing a hand on Holt's shoulder.

"No prob," he said, giving Medusa's son a small smile. "Night," he said as he backed out of the entrance to the Gorgon's room, closing the door as he did.

Holt was left alone in the hallway, the only light being that which seeped underneath the door he had just shut. Luckily, Holt had fire elemental in his blood. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, reopening them to see a faint, warm glow circulating from his fiery locks. He grinned and strode down the hall towards his room. Because he wasn't entirely fire elemental, Holt could never really produce fire. The most he could do was melt things.

Until he was separated from Jackson.

He assumed the separation let him have more freedom in the "monster abilities" aspect as well as the other, more obvious freedoms. He was already immune to fire but now he could soothe flames as well. And, after some guidance from his pyrophoric cousin, he could make his hair give off light. Granted, it wasn't literal fire but it was as much as he could conjure, not being pure fire elemental.

He made it to his room and the door opened with a creak. Holt let the light coming off him fade as he tossed aside his clothes and made his way to his bed. The glow snuffed out the second he closed his eyes. Soon, he fell asleep, his soft, peaceful breathing filling the silence of his room.

Hours later, he jolted upright, drenched with sweat. He let out a long sigh. Holt hadn't gotten a decent rest since separating from Jackson. The day it happened still haunted him. Waking up to silence in a bedraggled room and strapped down like a mental patient...

Then discovering he'd been kept away for a year.

The despair when he thought Jackson planned to get rid of him. The relief and confusion he felt when he found out otherwise. Ghouls poked him with needles before the rain poured through the gaping hole in the ceiling. Lightning struck. And it hurt like hell.

That day, when he finally regained consciousness, he opened his eyes to see Jackson lying on the floor beside the cart, looking extremely pale and weak. "I killed him?!" he remembered yelling, "I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"

Luckily, Jackson had been fine. Holt had fallen asleep soon afterward, and then was confronted by Jackson later, astonishingly healthy and fully clothed by then.

"So how exactly did all that work?" he remembered asking him.

"You're interested in knowing how?" Jackson had said back.

Holt had shrugged. "Not really."

"Good," Jackson had said. "I have a lot to fill you in on."

"First, get me offa this thing," Holt had told him, referring to the cart he was strapped onto.

Holt sighed deeply, remembering all the things Jackson had told him. Monster High had fallen and because Frankie—Frankie!—had destroyed some land and began building a city, electricity was practically impossible to come by where they were. Which made most music impossible to come by. Jackson thought it'd be fine. He even admitted he was relieved. But when Holt's lack of exposure began doing things to Jackson's health, he found a way to split them up instead. He also explained the normie/monster world separation. When Holt had asked about their family, Jackson said all the elder monsters had disappeared, which included their parents. The street they had lived on was also demolished for space for the Queen's city.

"She's calling herself queen now?" Holt had asked, baffled.

"I know," Jackson had said. "She's not who I thought she was."

Holt remembered frowning. "She's not like that. This doesn't make any sense. There's gotta be a better explanation."

Holt had been in this new world four of five years now and there still wasn't one.

"Anyway," Jackson had said, "we're planning on taking her down eventually. Mind helping us settle down first?"

Holt had nodded. "'Course."

He kept himself busy those days, keeping his mind off the insanity of this new age. Now he just went through the motions. Being free from Jackson was a blessing, true, but there wasn't much in this world that still was. Even now he was still bewildered that everything had changed so drastically.

Holt pulled off the blankets from his bed, sitting on its edge and running his hands through his hair in frustration. It'd been years but even now he craved the pulse of music. He walked out of his room, rushing down the hall and out of the building altogether. He slammed the building's door behind him and leaned on the wall next to it, the night sky surrounding him.

"Holt?"

Holt whipped his head to his left, seeing Draculaura walking out of the bathroom building.

He sent her a quick nod. "Hey."

"Hi," she said back. "Shouldn't you put some clothes on?"

Holt looked down at himself, realizing all he wore were his boxers. Strange he didn't notice sooner, what with the chill in the air.

"Sorry," he said back sheepishly.

Draculaura giggled and took a couple steps toward the guys' building. "Sun's going to be out soon. It was three-thirty last time I checked."

Holt groaned. "I'll just stay up, then."

"Well I'm not missing out on any sleep," the vampire said. "Why are you up so early, anyway? Bad dream?" she teased.

Holt didn't say anything, causing Draculaura to start apologizing. "It's fine," he told her. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Whatever you say..." she said slowly, turning back to the ghouls' building.

"Why are you up so early?" he asked her as he watched her walk away.

She hesitantly turned back to face him. "Uh. Cramps..?"

Holt almost laughed. "You don't need to tell me."

Draculaura breathed a relieved sigh as she turned and ran back into the ghouls' building.

Holt sighed and slid down the wall until he was sitting on the building's wooden porch.

"Um, are you okay?" another female voice asked him. Holt faced forward and saw the last person he thought he'd see.

"Cleo?" he acknowledged the mummy ghoul. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Oh. Okay," she said, awkwardly standing in front of the porch. She was wearing a long, plain white nightgown that, admittedly, looked odd on her. Some of her bandages peeked out of the long, lacy sleeves. She was also barefoot, which probably wasn't the best idea.

Her presence began to irk him. "Why are you out here?" Holt asked.

"I heard crying," she said. "I wanted to find out who it was."

"That was probably Draculaura," he told her. "She just went back in."

Cleo looked away from him. "Um, unless she was in the guys' cabin then no..." she said while steadily glancing back at him.

Holt looked down at his knees. Was it him she heard? Was he crying? Damnit. "What were you doing by our building in the first place?" he asked, facing her again.

Cleo looked down at her feet. "I couldn't fall asleep so I decided to check the place out."

Holt raised an eyebrow. "The guys' rooms?"

Cleo raised her gaze, her eyes wide. "No, no, no—the whole camp. I was heading back to my room just now and heard crying when I passed the guys' cabin."

"Well, forget it," Holt told her. "Go back to bed."

She took a few steps onto the porch. "Were you crying?"

Since when did Cleo care if someone was crying? "No," he said, convincing himself it was partially true because he was asleep for most of it. "Now go."

She sat down in front of him, pulling her knees to her chest. "Are you okay?"

Holt scoffed. "Amnesia sure did a number on you."

She was hesitant before responding. "I remember people."

"People, yeah," he retorted. "Then you should know that you don't give a crap about me."

Cleo looked down at her knees. "Who said I didn't care?"

"You know who I am, right?"

"Holt," she said, looking back up at him. "Holt Hyde."

"There," he said. "Now you know that you don't care. Unless you were throwing a party."

"But I'm not really—!" she cut herself off, looking back down at her knees.

After a long silence, Holt spoke up. "Go," he prompted quietly.

Cleo got up and rushed over to the ghouls' rooms, the last look she gave him regretful and embarrassed.

Maybe Deuce was right and she did need someone to keep an eye on her.

A sudden shuffling of footsteps interrupted his thoughts; a hooded figure came into view.

Holt ran down the porch steps. "Hey!"

The figure turned around and ran towards him, stopping a few feet in front of him. "Holt?" it called out questioningly, the voice feminine.

"Yeah..?"

The female stranger pulled down her hood. "It's me," she said, "Howleen."

Holt approached the werewolf. "Howleen?" he questioned as he stood in front of her, his feet settling on the dry grass.

"Uh," she took a step back, "yeah."

Holt looked her over. Howleen had grown over the years. She hadn't gotten much taller but she didn't have a fourteen-year old's body anymore, that was for sure. Her hair was fluffy, at her shoulders, and dyed pink with orange streaks; her long, dark, hooded coat was opened and it was hard to tell the color of the clothes she wore, the only light being that from the torches in front of the buildings. However...

"Uh," Holt observed her clothing, "you become a stripper or somethin'?" he asked, sounding a lot more awkward than he meant to.

Howleen glared at him. "Says the guy in his underwear."

Holt crossed his arms. "What're you doing here anyway?"

"I'm here to join you guys," she told him, folding her arms across her chest in retaliation.

Holt narrowed his eyes. "Join us? How'd you even find us?"

"Tracked your scent," she said simply. "Well, Lagoona's and Rochelle's. I was late because I wanted to help my friend move in and my sister was coming to visit. I told them that I'd come the day they asked me to but I didn't get the chance so I guess they left without me."

"So you know where the smaller camp is?" Holt asked warily.

"Yeah, they gave me directions."

Holt wasn't entirely comfortable about Howleen's presence at the camp, but her explanations seemed true enough. Lagoona and Rochelle would give directions to those they knew they could trust.

Holt sighed, suddenly very tired. "Everyone's asleep right now so," he exhaled heavily, "I'll show you to your room, I guess."

The blue-skinned monster turned toward the ghouls' building, the Wolf following suit. They went up the porch and Holt held open the door for her, and it shut behind them once they entered, leaving them in complete darkness. Well, almost complete. Some light was seeping through the floor of one of the rooms towards the end of the hall but, nevertheless, it was still fairly dark. Holt concentrated for a minute and summoned light like he had earlier.

"Whoa!" Howleen remarked a bit too loudly. "Your hair lights up? Clawesome! I sure missed out on a lot, huh?"

"Yeah, now be quiet," Holt whispered to her. "You don't wanna wake all the ghouls, right?"

"Funny," Howleen muttered. "I remember everyone telling you to be quiet."

Holt rolled his eyes and strode down the hallway as Howleen walked beside him.

"At least you still got that Holt Hyde swagger," she teased.

Holt grunted in response, never taking notice to his walking style before.

"Anyways," Howleen continued, still a little too loud, "that lighting-your-hair-up thing is really cool. Or hot, ha." She snickered at her own pun. "Hey, your hair seems a little shaggy. When did that happen? It looks good."

Holt looked to his right, relieved he found an unoccupied room. He opened the door. "Here," he gestured for her to enter. "Enjoy your stay," he drawled sarcastically.

Howleen entered the room. "I'm gonna need some light in here," she called to him, just as he was about to walk away.

Holt headed to the room's dresser to the left of the entrance. With the glow of the light radiating from his hair, he opened the top drawer and found a box of matches. He turned back to Howleen and held the box up in his left hand. "Matches," he told her, "for the wall candles." He indicated the glass-covered candles hanging upon the walls of the room.

Howleen tried reaching for the box but was too short to retrieve it from where he held it. Holt ignored her, taking out a match and striking it against the side of the box and lighting it, and the younger ghoul abruptly gave up her pursuit of the matches even though they were now in reach.

Holt strode over to one of the wall candles and gently took off the glass encasing with his left hand, holding the lit match in his right. He lit the candle and waved the match in one hand while carefully replacing the glass upon the candle in the other. The light illuminated the room differently than the match did, even though it was the same flame.

"Oh wow!" Howleen exclaimed. "It's like a lamp. How's it so bright?"

"Jackson and a couple others came up with some way for the glass to make it shine brighter or somethin'," Holt informed her as he took a step away from the light.

"Jackson, huh?" she inquired, stepping closer to him. "How's he doing?" She poked his stomach; he flinched and pulled back. "Ha, ticklish?"

"No," he lied. "And Jackson's fine."

"Hey wait a sec..." Howleen looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "Don't you need music to be out? Why aren't you wearing headphones or earbuds or whatever? Did the trigger change to something stupid like showers?"

"No," Holt replied, her "shower" comment sounding vaguely familiar, "we got split."

The Wolf's eyes widened. "Seriously? That's fangtastic! How?"

"We just did, okay?" Holt really didn't want to bring up the events of his recurring dream to the younger ghoul. "You can ask Jack if you wanna know so bad."

"Okay, I will. So what about—hey wait!"

Holt had already exited the room, hearing Howleen groan in frustration as he left. He heard her close the door behind him as he stood alone in the hallway, the only light coming from his hair, underneath Howleen's door, and the one door from earlier. It was only a couple doors down and across from Howleen's room.

Draculaura? He wondered as he looked at the slit of light. He sighed when he recognized it as the door he had led Deuce into yesterday. Might as well check up on her, he thought exasperatedly, hastily opening the door.

"Eek!"

Holt heard her yelp as she dove behind her bed and peeked over its edge.

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Please knock!" she squeaked.

"You're still up, Cleo?" he asked, ignoring her plea and entering the room. He wondered why she was so freaked out until: "Oh," he avoided eye contact with her, "you're changing." He gestured to her nightgown sprawled upon the bed.

"Well, I'm not naked." She rose from behind the bed, revealing that she had faded, light brown bandages wrapped around her body from her shoulders down to her mid-thigh. "It's just weird when someone walks in on you."

Holt gave her a sheepish grin, suddenly feeling self-conscious about his own lack of clothing. "Yeah, you're right." He backed away slowly.

"No wait!" she called as he turned towards the door. "I want to apologize for earlier."

Holt smirked as he turned to face her. "Amnesia really did do a number on you."

The mummy ghoul ignored him. "I'm sorry."

He raised an eyebrow. "I should be the one saying sorry. So..." He sighed. "I'm sorry." There, he thought. Conversation over. He smiled to himself and started heading out.

"Wait!" she called again, stopping him in his tracks.

"What?"

"Was that Clawdeen I heard you with?"

Holt turned back towards her. "No, it was her lil sis, Howleen."

"Oh. I guess I couldn't tell. I haven't heard from Howleen and she sounded a lot like Clawdeen last time I heard from her."

A look of confusion furrowed his brows. "What?"

Cleo froze and looked away timidly. It was strange to see her acting the way she was. "You know, Clawdeen. I guess Howleen has grown up a bit so now she sounds like her. Not that I've heard from Clawdeen lately or anything, I mean, I've been asleep for five years." She giggled awkwardly the second she had finished rambling.

Holt gave her a blank stare before taking a step out of the room. "Night," he called out as he closed the door, only to have it open again by the mummy ghoul.

"Oh and," she said quietly, pointing at his glowing hair, "that's totally volta—cool. Totally cool." She flashed him a quick smile and shut the door softly.

Holt stared at the closed door in bewilderment until he shrugged and headed out the ghouls' building to the guys'.

And by some miracle, he peacfully fell asleep


	14. The Party: Part 1

**A/N** : Something glitched when uploading the previous chapter and an email notification didn't go out to those who followed. So if you haven't read Chapter 13, please do before this one. But if you have, enjoy! Also, thank you again for the reviews. The next couple chapters will be here soon.

* * *

"No, you have to wait."

"But—"

"Calm down. She's fine. Trust me."

Two ghouls argued right outside my door. I hadn't fallen asleep last night after I had explored the camp and talked to Holt. His demeanor agitated me. He was so unlike the loud, wild boy I knew in high school.

High school. Years to others felt like days ago to me. But I could handle it. I hoped.

"No, Draculaura, love, she's fine—"

My door burst open and I sat upright. Draculaura stood in the doorway with an embarrassed Lagoona standing behind her. They looked as if they just woke up.

"See?" she told the vampire. "She's fine."

Draculaura ignored her. "Hey, Cleo! I haven't seen you at all since you got here!"

I smiled. At least she was the same monster I knew back in high school.

"Hurry or you'll miss breakfast!"

Lagoona sighed. "Breakfast is already over, mate. Lunch will be over, too, if we don't hurry."

Draculaura gasped. "That means I missed breakfast! Stupid cramps kept me up all night."

Lagoona looked confused. "I didn't know vampires had those."

"Oh, they don't, thank gore. I wouldn't be able to handle the," her eyes widened and she started to look pale, "the bl—"

"It's alright, love," Lagoona coaxed while placing a hand on the ghoul's shoulder. "No need to say it."

Draculaura wiped her forehead. "Phew. Well, see, Heath cooked dinner last night. The cheese screechza, you know. I came in late and got the short-end of the stick. Totes did not agree with my stomach."

Lagoona nodded. "And knowing Heath, we'll be having freezer food for the rest of the week."

Draculaura groaned, "So not looking forward to that."

The blonde sea ghoul laughed. "Don't blame him. His only cooking credibility is a C minus in Home Ick."

I smiled. Just seeing them talk was like being back in Monster High.

"We should go eat lunch, Cleo," Draculaura said.

I nodded. "Let me just change first." I still wore my—Cleo's—wrappings; the nightgown I wore last night plus the wrappings were a bit too warm for me so I took it off to feel more comfortable. It's too bad things turned out this way... Cleo deserves to be in her own body.

The two ghouls walked out and closed the door as I hopped off my bed and pulled some sweats out of the dresser. Orange. I cringed. Cleo wouldn't be caught alive in this outfit, but this color was even worse. I reluctantly zipped up the jacket and opened the door where Lagoona and Draculaura stood expectantly.

Lagoona smiled. "Ready, love?"

I returned her smile and nodded.

"Now let's go eat," the vampire ghoul said, clutching her stomach dramatically. "I'm starving."

-.-.-.-

"Hey ghouls," Operetta said as she plopped down beside me at the table. "How's the food?"

"Where have you been?" Deuce asked her. He was sitting on my left, close enough that I had to repeatedly remind myself I was in Cleo's body and not my own.

"Yeah," Draculaura said across from me, "I haven't heard from you since you got here."

Looking at Operetta now, I noticed she wore the same clothes from when we first got here. I didn't think her dress was entirely suitable for the weather but, lately, it seemed to be getting a little warmer.

"Oh, I've been..." Operetta turned around a shared a look with Johnny Spirit, who was currently waiting in line for his meal, and turned back toward us with a smirk, "Around."

"Don't tell me you two ran off, mate," Lagoona said in the seat in front of her.

"Yeah." Heath leaned in from Deuce's side. "You can't just leave."

"Especially not for silly things like that," Lagoona said.

Operetta rolled her eyes. "Can someone please pull the sticks outta the fun police's dung holes?"

Lagoona glared at her and rose to put away her plate. Heath followed behind her.

"Well, I for one think it's cute," Draculaura said. "You two make a fangtastic couple."

"Hush up," the musical ghoul warned, lowering her voice. "Nothing's going on between us. It's something else."

Draculaura looked a little crestfallen but perked up enough to continue the conversation. "So what happened, then?"

Operetta grinned and leaned in. "Johnny and I snuck back into the city."

"So you did leave," Draculaura said. "Why?"

Operetta's grin grew wider. "We got as much stuff as we could for..." She looked around to make sure no one else was listening, then leaned back in, excitement radiating off her. "A party!"

"A party?" I exclaimed.

Operetta turned back to me and nodded. "Snagged everything we could and stuffed it in a big sack we found lying 'round here. We even got a couple big batteries to power everythin'. We're probably gonna have to get someone to reassemble the DJ booth, though." Then she turned to the others. "Whatcha think y'all? Sound like fun?"

Deuce and Draculaura went silent, both looking a little uneasy.

Operetta groaned. "Come on. Don't tell me y'all have been sticks in the mud all these years."

Deuce cleared his throat. "Uh, we haven't had a party. Not since—"

"Since high school?" Operetta almost yelled. "Are you serious? Well, we're gonna have to fix that then, now aren't we?"

"Well..." Draculaura began timidly, "a party does sound like fun. But it's been so long..."

Operetta waved her off. "Don't you worry 'bout that, ghoul. Once we get our resident DJ on the booth, things'll come to unlife in no time."

"Holt?" Deuce questioned, an eyebrow raised behind his sunglasses. "Don't be so sure."

"Oh, come on," Operetta said. "Just 'cause he hasn't been partying lately doesn't mean he won't do it now."

"It's not that, Op," Deuce said. "I just don't know if it'll be the same."

"Yeah," Draculaura agreed. "Have you talked to him at all? He's a little moody."

Operetta scowled. "Whatever. We're gonna have a party tonight whether y'all like it or not. But first..." She snatched one of the fries off my plate, and Deuce gave her a quick glare.

Operetta snickered at his disapproval and continued. "I gotta eat. I was out all night so I gotta get some grub and some sleep in before the shindig." She grinned and rose from the table. "See ya, ghouls."

Silence passed between the three of us.

Draculaura's squeal pierced the air. "A party! It's only been five years but it feels like centuries. I am totes excited."

"But do you really think the rest of us are ready?" Deuce asked.

"Ready for what?" a new voice asked. I turned around on the bench and looked up to see Toralei Stripe, who wore jeans and a red sweater, her long, pulled back hair still looked strange to me. She gave me a quick smile, and it caught me off guard.

"Hey, guys." Jackson approached the opposite side of the table and sat beside Deuce.

Toralei sat beside me. "What's going on? What are 'the rest of us' not ready for?"

"Operetta wants to throw a party," Draculaura told her.

"A party?" Jackson inquired from the other end of the table, light glinting off the blond ends of his hair. "Tonight?"

"Yep," Draculaura said. "She's even got a battery to power it all."

"A DJ booth, too," Deuce informed them.

"Well if the 'rest of us' aren't ready," Toralei began, "then we'll make them. No way we're missing out on a party."

Jackson looked a little shaken up. "Wow. This'll be my chance to listen to the music I've missed out on."

I gasped. "You haven't listened to any music since you've been separated?"

Toralei spoke for him. "We don't use electricity here for music. Plus, Jackson likes to stick to his science-y stuff and not get off track."

Jackson shrugged. "I just never thought about it. Besides," he adjusted his glasses and sternly said, "times like these aren't meant for partying."

Toralei laughed. "Please. It's the perfect time for a party! I mean," she gestured toward me, "Cleo's back. And we got new monsters here. Why not throw a party?"

"Things are different now," he replied.

"Yeah, so?" Toralei retorted. "We gotta have some fun sometime."

"You kept trying to ruin parties," Draculaura said to the werecat. "Why are you so excited now?"

Toralei shrugged. "Like the nerd said," she glanced over at Jackson, "these are different times."

"So, Jackson," Deuce said to the normie, "think you can convince Holt to man the DJ booth Operetta found?"

Jackson's eyes widened. "Aw, man." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know if I can convince him to do anything."

Deuce chuckled. "Don't worry, dude. I'll see if I can talk to him."

"Ha," Toralei scoffed. "I'll talk to him. By the time I'm done—"

"Please," Jackson cut in, his hands raised, "don't hurt him."

The werecat crossed her arms. "I was just joking."

"It's always hard to tell nowadays," Draculaura stated.

Toralei stuck her tongue out at her and avoided eye contact, her tail swaying rhythmically.

"You think a party would be fun, right Cleo?" the she-cat asked, still looking away. Then she turned to face me. "Cleo?" She was looking straight at me. Oh!

"Yeah!" I rushed out. "A party sounds totally electrifying!"

"Electrifying?" Deuce mumbled beside me.

Toralei ignored my slip up. "See?" she said to Jackson. "She thinks it's a good idea!"

"I'm not saying it's a bad idea," he said. "I'm just saying it's not appropriate."

Toralei stood up abruptly, green cat-eyes glowering. "Not appropriate?"

"Oh no," Draculaura squeaked, suddenly taking a lot more interest in her salad as the argument unfolded.

"We're trying to reveal who changed the world and, right now, that's the Queen!" Jackson half-yelled from beside Deuce. Unlike Toralei, he had remained seated. "That's our main priority here."

"Loosen up and have some fun for one night, Jackson!" Toralei had actually yelled that, catching the attention of almost anyone in the dining pavilion.

Jackson looked uncomfortable with the attention, yet remained focused and tried to speak up but by then Toralei flicked her tail dismissively and led herself out. A couple tables away, Meowlody and Purrsephone abandoned their meals and rushed after her.

The dining pavilion was silent for a moment longer before chatter took over the area once more as if nothing had happened.

"Well, that was new," Draculaura said.

I was confused. "New? Have they not argued before?"

She brought her index finger to her chin in thought. "Well, sure they have, but about sensible things. And she never walks away."

"So you think this is a bad time for a party too, Draculaura?" Jackson prodded.

The vampire shook her head. "No, I love the idea of a party. I just don't think it's sensible to argue about relaxing during times like these." She sighed and shoved a forkful of salad into her mouth. "I mean, it'll be sort of awkward after all this time but," she swallowed and grinned, "it'll be totes fun."

Jackson sighed. "I guess you're right. As long as the party doesn't take our mind off the mission and is, you know," he looked over at all of us, "harmless."

Draculaura rolled her eyes. "Relax, Jackson. It's not like there'll be alcohol or anything."

"I was thinking in terms of safety but, yeah, that too," he said, giving a firm nod.

"Ugh." The vampire ghoul, Gory, walked up to where Jackson was seated with a disgusted look on her face. "Why would you want to have alcohol at a party?"

Bram sidled up to her. "She's right. What you need are monster world drinks."

Gory smiled slyly. "I know the perfect place to get drinks in the city."

Jackson chuckled nervously. "Uh, no." He turned on the bench to face them. "We don't need any drinks, thanks."

Deuce nudged him with his elbow. "Come on, dude, loosen up," he prompted. A grin etched across his lips. "Besides, if you're so worried about it then you can be in charge."

"What? Manning the drinks?" Jackson asked incredulously.

Deuce nodded and Jackson groaned inwardly.

"So," Gory cut in, "drinks then?"

Deuce gave her a thumbs-up and she flipped her hair and walked with Bram back to their table.

"Hey," a male voice said from my right. I turned to see Heath starting to sit by me. "I just saw Toralei. What's she all worked up about?"

Jackson made a frustrated sound and disbanded from the table and rushed out the dining pavilion.

Deuce shrugged. "She and Jackson got into a fight."

Heath nodded slowly. "It sounded intense."

"You heard all that?"

"Toralei? Yeah." Heath pointed a thumb backward. "I was in the kitchen. We ran out of a few things."

"But you still have salad!" Draculaura cheered victoriously, waving her fork full of lettuce and then stuffing it into her mouth. "Totes agrees with the stomach!"

-.-.-.-

By the time lunch was over, Draculaura spread word of the party so now everyone knew to get ready for it. Since Operetta went to bed, we asked Johnny where the sack full of party stuff was and took everything out of it. Heath wasn't too keen on the party being last minute but he seemed excited. While he, Draculaura, and a couple others started unloading the party goods, Deuce pulled me away from the crowd.

He put his hand on my shoulder. "You tired?"

I didn't feel tired but I assumed I looked that way since I hadn't slept at all last night. I tried to say no, but a yawn came out instead.

He chuckled. "I'll walk you to your room."

I sighed.

He placed his hand on my back as he led me to my room, which was totally okay. Sort of.

I walked inside as he closed the door behind us. The room was a stuffier for some reason so I started taking off my sweater.

"Uh," Deuce began, just as I pulled down the zipper, "what are you doing?"

"It's kinda warm in here," I said, shrugging the sweater off and onto the floor, revealing the upper half of my wraps. I looked down at them, how they were stretched across my shoulders all the way down until they ended at my mid-thigh. Of course, the pants I wore covered anything past my stomach but one patch of bandages looked thicker than the rest of them. It was on the lower right side my stomach near my hip, bandages tightly wrapped around that one place. Entranced and curious, I brought down my hand to the area, gently brushing the ancient cloth with my index finger. Why does Cleo need so many wraps, anyway? I've never seen her wear so many. Maybe Nefera added more before she locked her body away in a sarcophagus for the past five years. I unsuccessfully tried putting my fingers underneath the bandages, but when I tried again a pair of large hands overlapped mine.

"Don't do that," Deuce said sternly. He gingerly pulled back my hand from my stomach. "I understand you have amnesia but messing with those wraps could kill you."

I could tell he was being deadly serious right then and I nodded, making the mistake of looking up at him. I hadn't realized how close we were but... there he was. He leaned forward and I froze. I closed my eyes, afraid he'd kiss me but instead I felt a different sensation. Deuce was resting his forehead against mine. I opened my eyes, his sunglasses-adorned face ridiculously close.

He smirked. "I think we should wait until you feel better, Cleo. It wouldn't feel right with you not knowing you're you."

I heaved out a sigh of relief and he laughed. The door swung open a second later, and a bunch of ghouls stood in the doorway.

"Hey, ghoul! You ready to pick out an outfit for the party?" Lagoona called. A slow grin appeared on her face when she saw us. "Or maybe we should leave you two alone."

The rest of the ghouls giggled behind her. I felt my face heat up.

"No, it's cool." Deuce pulled back, letting go of my hand. "You ghouls have fun." He turned back to me. "See ya, Cleo." Before I knew it, he gave me a quick peck on the cheek and walked out of the room.

I felt incredibly awkward, but Lagoona and the other ghouls seemed to take my blush differently than how I really felt. They giggled and entered my room, crowding the place in an instant.

"Alright," Lagoona said, "time to get the princess ready for the party of her unlife!"

-.-.-.-

Although Lagoona and the ghouls had arrived to prep me for the party, instead we ended up talking for what seemed like hours. During the time, the ghouls would alternate between themselves and leave to take showers and get ready, returning clean and fresh. But now...

"Red!"

"Blue."

"Reeeeddd."

"Blue!"

Gory and Abbey were arguing about the color dress I should wear, each shoving their preferred dress into one another's faces. I sat on my bed along with a couple others. Toralei took up most of it, which wasn't entirely appreciated. At all.

"The red dress," Gory said, holding up the simple yet loud red dress in her right hand, "is the clear choice."

"Must be joking," Abbey scoffed, holding up the embellished, soft blue dress in both hands. "Blue is obvious decision."

"I don't think I've ever seen you in red, Cleo," Scarah said, turning back to face me from where she sat at the foot of my bed. I hadn't seen her yesterday, so it was nice seeing another familiar face.

"Me neither," Howleen said from Abbey's side. "I say blue."

Toralei groaned from behind me. "Let's not choose sides."

"Why not?" Gory inquired. "We should find out what everyone else thinks."

I felt the bed shift as Toralei sat up. The werecat shrugged. "Fine." She looked over the group of ghouls in the room, and then looked up with pursed lips, one word slipping out of them: "Red."

The whole room suddenly erupted with a flurry of shouts, "red" and "blue" bouncing across the walls. Toralei snickered and flopped back down onto the bed.

Lagoona laughed and Draculaura sighed. "I wish they'd just ask you, Cleo," the vampire said.

This caused the sea ghoul to laugh again. "This argument stopped being about Cleo a long time ago."

I wasn't really interested in the argument. I liked both dresses. They were both short and pretty, but while the red was bright, the blue had a lot of flashy stones on it. The rest of the ghouls had gotten their dresses sometime when Abbey and Gory were arguing over my dress. All the ghouls, except myself, looked great in their dresses, all short, form-fitting, and adorable. Of course, none were as extravagant as what we had back in high school—the heels less so—but, nonetheless, they were amazing.

At first, I was confused at how they got a hold of such outfits until Venus had told me that she raided the Queen's closet. My astonished expression had caused her to laugh and Robecca to elbow her, explaining that she had gone along with her to thrift stores, not palaces.

Now, I sat on the edge of my bed in my wooden room full of noisy, arguing ghouls. I didn't expect the door to bust open right then; each ghoul quieted instantaneously.

A disheveled Operetta stood in the doorway, wearing sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. "Can y'all keep it down?" she yelled half-heartedly, her words slurring and her eyes struggling to stay open. "Some of us are tryin' ta sleep!"

"Operetta," Howleen said, approaching the ghoul, "it's been four hours."

The musical ghoul squinted and stared at Howleen, retracting a second later with wide and confused eyes. "When'd ya get here?"

"Well, if it isn't the party ghoul herself," Toralei said, hopping off my bed and striding over to Operetta at the doorway. "You should probably get ready though," she chided.

Now that it was quiet, I decided to take my chance. I hopped down from the edge of my bed, opened the bottom drawer of my dresser, grabbed a towel, and walked in between Abbey and Gory. I looked at the two dresses and made my decision.

"Red."

Gory grinned victoriously and handed me the dress. I carefully slung it over my arm and smiled appreciatively at her. Then I walked out, the entire room once again exploding with controversial voices.


	15. The Party: Part 2

The water in the shower was _cold_. I had entered the first shower stall I saw and scrubbed myself gently with the provided and presumably clean washcloth. I kept Cleo's mummy on wraps and gently dabbed it with the wet and soapy washcloth, afraid to take them off after Deuce's warning.

I grabbed the towel just outside the stall and grabbed my dress as soon as I was dry. I let the towel drop at my feet and slipped it on. It fit better than I expected. The only problem was the zipper: I couldn't reach it. Whenever a dress would have a zipper on the back, I'd simply unstitch my hand and zip it up easily. But as I've come to miss the past couple days, Cleo's body wasn't Frankie Stein's. I grasped at the zipper and tried tugging it upward the best I could but no luck; I only managed to zip it up about halfway.

I sighed. Both Cleo de Nile and Frankie Stein would freak over this but, right now, I was just tired.

The weather outside was moderate, thank gore. I was worried it'd be too cold for short dresses. The sun was setting and I let out a yawn, placing the towel on the ground in front of the bathroom door so I could sit on it.

I began fiddling with Cleo's hair. Long and dark with golden streaks... Over five thousand years...

It bothered me to move her hands—her entire body—and not really own it. I wanted to see my own skin, my own hands; my own everything. But my friends were so excited to see Cleo... And so set on proving the Queen's hand in the reshaping of this new world. How could I take them off course when they're so ready? Whisp may have caused this, but I didn't even know how to get back into my body without her. Or if I ever could. My vision blurred. No, now wasn't the time to cry. I had to deal with this. I could do it. A part of me wished this was all some twisted dream. I put my face in my hands, both out of misery and exhaustion.

"You okay?"

I lifted my head out of my hands.

"Heath?" I acknowledged him. "Yeah, I'm fine just," I put my head back in my hands, "tired."

"But," I sensed him sitting down beside me, " _party_."

I let out a small laugh and looked back at him. "I know right? Talk about bad timing."

He chuckled and some silence passed between us before he spoke up again.

"Hey, Cleo. Can I ask you a question?"

I gave a quick nod. "Of corpse, Heath."

"Okay, well..." He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. "Do... Do you think..." He sighed. "Do you think Abbey will like this?"

I looked down at his outfit: gray dress shirt, red tie, and navy blue pants. I nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"See, I don't know how formal this party is and all the ghouls tend to glam-out so I thought adding a tie would be a good idea."

"No," I shook my head, "why Abbey?"

The fire elemental exhaled heavily. "You're gonna make me say it?"

I scrunched up my brows. "Say..?" I giggled. "Of corpse you're going after Abbey again."

"It's like she's prettier than she used to be," he whined. "It's not fair."

I laughed heartily at that one. "Not fair? What about you? I hardly recognized you!"

He laughed. "Okay, okay." He rose up from where he sat. "See you later, then."

"Wait!" I shot up.

"Yeah?"

I turned my back towards him. "Could you zip this up, please?"

"Uh," he sounded uneasy, "okay." He hurriedly zipped up the dress.

I turned back to face him. "Thanks," I said.

He nodded, already turning away. "No problem."

I picked up my towel from the ground and we parted ways. I expected to return to my room full of noisy ghouls. But as I approached the room, it was strangely silent.

"Where is everybody?" I asked as I walked in.

Toralei didn't even move from the bed to speak to me. "Gone."

I sighed. "Yeah, I got that. Where?"

"To get ready."

"But they already showered... They were in their dresses..."

She rose up from her laid position and rolled her eyes. "They're," she lifted her hands for air quotes and rose her voice an octave higher, "' _getting their hair done_ '." She flopped back down on the bed.

"Oh." I walked over to the dresser and placed my towel there. "So..." I turned around towards the bed, "why aren't you 'getting your hair done'?"

"Don't need to," she said curtly.

"Okay." I approached the bed, noticing her sprawled out, long, black-streaked ponytail. "I think your hair's nice."

Her mouth twitched. "Thanks."

That was unexpected.

It was quiet for a moment. "I like your dress." It was strapless and black with tears at the end like she ripped it herself.

"I like yours."

"Thanks."

"Why'd you choose the red one, anyway?" she asked after some time.

"I liked it." I didn't know what compelled me to choose the red dress. I've never seen Cleo wear red. I never wore much red either. Maybe as an accessory but then I ended up wearing more yellow, last I remember. Maybe I would've chosen the blue dress if the situation was different but...

"Something about all this makes me want to change things," I said. "Not just the dress and what you guys are doing here—discovering the cause of this new world—but also things for me... in my unlife."

The werecat scoffed. "You really do have amnesia."

I was getting really tired of that excuse. "Amnesia. Right."

Toralei craned her neck to face me. "How much do you remember, anyway?"

"Oh!" I suddenly felt flustered. "People."

She raised an eyebrow. "People?"

"Yeah," I tried to avoid her gaze now that she was looking at me, "like you, Toralei."

She rose to a seated position and folded her legs beneath her. "So you remember what I've done?"

I nodded. "Sure do. Everything I know about you."

"Then you should know we don't get along." Then she added under her breath, "Even when we were fused together."

I sighed. Why, why did I have to be stuck in Cleo's body? I loved her, but why? "I know." I paused. "Why aren't the twins with you?"

"Meowlody and Purrsephone?"

I nodded.

"Told them to piss off. For now, at least."

I was a little taken aback. "Oh. That's... different."

She didn't seem to want to dwell on the subject. "So you remember everyone but yourself?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Yeah..?"

Her tail swayed. "That's hard to believe."

I froze and took a step back.

"Then again," she looked up, "I don't know how amnesia works so..." she moved to the edge of the bed, "whatever."

I exhaled, relieved.

She shrugged and hopped off my bed. Finally. "I'll ask the nerd about it later."

"Jackson?" I asked.

"Yeah," she responded, already heading towards the door.

I hoped he knew nothing about amnesia. I didn't know enough to be coming up with the lies I've been using as a cover.

"Are you guys..." I paused, trying to find the right word as she looked at me expectantly. "Close?"

Toralei rolled her eyes. "Sure."

"Like, friends?" I asked cautiously.

"Yep. Bye." She walked out, closing the door behind her.

I scowled. I understood why she didn't want to confide in Cleo de Nile but that was just rude. I supposed some things would never change.

I heard a bunch of shuffling outside; some muffled voices sounded rushed and slightly frantic. I opened the door, revealing a bunch of ghouls running down the hallway in their party dresses.

"What's going on?" I called out to them.

"What do you think's going on?" a voice said behind me. I looked back and saw Operetta dressed in a white, purple cobwebbed-designed dress, clean and awake. She grinned while adjusting a heart-shaped mask. "The party's starting, ghoul! Get a move on!"

I gasped and rushed over to slip on the black wedges given to me earlier. I walked back to my door as Operetta was already heading out the building. I grinned.

A party. Finally something familiar.

-.-.-.-

It was mildly dark outside and stars began to show in the sky now that the sun had set. The party took place outdoors beside the dining pavilion, tables lined up at its edge containing snacks. There were torches at each corner; a string of multicolored lights connecting them and lined on the roof of the dining pavilion as well. I was impressed with how it all turned out. In the center was a large patch of dry, compact dirt—dance floor. The DJ booth was over towards the end, opposite the snack tables. Music blasted out of the speakers even though it lacked, well, a DJ. I guess no one had convinced Holt yet. In fact, I didn't see him anywhere.

"Cleo!"

I turned toward the voice, Lagoona beckoning me over to the snack table.

I smiled and joined her. "What's up?"

"What d'you think of the party, love? Pretty nice how it turned out."

"Yeah. I'm impressed."

Operetta slid in beside Lagoona. "You're welcome," she teased.

Lagoona smiled and rolled her eyes. "Thanks, mate."

"Oui," Rochelle walked in beside her. "We needed this. Merci, Operetta."

Operetta waved her hand bashfully. "Aw shucks, y'all, I can't take all the credit."

"That's right," Johnny Spirit said, phasing through the table.

Operetta glared at him. "Never mind. I'll take all the credit."

He glared back at her. "Do you remember who carried the sack?"

The musical ghoul crossed her arms. "Coulda done it myself," she muttered.

The ghost looked baffled. "You _made_ me carry it."

"You didn't have to come," she retorted.

Johnny laughed. "You made me come!"

"Whatever. This party's dead. Let's dance." Operetta grabbed his wrist and dragged the startled spirit to the dirt dance floor. Not many people were dancing but the pair quickly livened up the party, allowing more monsters to join them.

"Hey." Deuce approached us, well, me. The ghouls giggled. Was this always what it was like for Cleo with her boyfriend? The Gorgon wore a black dress shirt and pants. He smiled down at me. "Do you like the party?"

I nodded. "Yeah. It's clawesome." Then the DJ booth caught my eye. "Though it might be better if we had a DJ."

He looked back at the booth. "Yeah, maybe."

"Did you talk to Holt?" Rochelle asked him.

He sighed. "I did my best."

Rochelle nodded sympathetically. " _Nous espérons pour le meilleur_."

Deuce shrugged. "Guess so."

I looked at him dubiously. "You know French, Deuce?"

"Uh, yeah." He appeared uneasy. "Rochelle and I hung out a lot."

I looked back at Rochelle, and she forced a sheepish smile. I knew Deuce and Rochelle were good friends back in high school. I also knew Cleo was never too comfortable with it either. But I would be honest. "That's nice."

Deuce looked at me skeptically. Then he looked to the side. I think I caught him mumbling "amnesia" under his breath. He turned back to me, his snake mohawk hissing softly as he spoke. "Wanna dance?" he asked, hopeful eyes almost visible past the dark lenses of his sunglasses.

Oh. Er... "Of corpse."

Somewhere, Cleo is trapped inside Nefera's body suffering an eternal slumber. But I didn't think anything would be more agonizing for her than what I just agreed to right now.

Deuce held out his hand and I hesitantly grabbed it as he led me to the dance floor.

-.-.-.-

I was worried that dancing with Cleo's boyfriend would be awkward. Thankfully, it wasn't. It was fun. Despite the circumstances, I enjoyed myself. Deuce wasn't that bad of a dancer and he was super nice whenever I'd step on his foot or slip up somehow. The sky darkened and the night air cooled as we danced. How long had it been?

"Something wrong?" Deuce asked. I hadn't realized I had stopped moving.

I smiled reassuringly. "No, I'm fine. I was just thinking—" A figure caught my eye; one that should've been here sooner. "Look." I pointed behind Deuce, and he turned around.

The Gorgon sighed. "Holt." He turned back to me. "I'll go talk to him. Thanks for the dance, babe." He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and rushed off toward the other monster.

I let out a frustrated groan once he was gone. I may have had a crush on him on my first day of school, but I missed my friendship with Deuce.

Someone stumbled into me from behind. "Ooh!" I exclaimed as I regained my balance.

"Sorry." I turned around to see Abbey.

"It's okay, Abbey," I said.

Abbey looked absolutely gorgeous in the dress she was wearing. It resembled the blue one she wanted me to wear except this one was a light purple color; her long, thick, white-multicolored hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. But, as great as she looked, she appeared to be a little on edge.

"Are you okay, Abbey?"

The icy ghoul looked down. "Not really."

"Why? _Party_."

She huffed out a short laugh, and then met my gaze. "Is Heath."

Now I was intrigued. A broad grin slowly appeared on my face. "Having fun?"

"Not exactly. Have been dancing with fire boy all night."

"I don't see anything wrong with that."

She sighed. "Dancing has been... awkward for Abbey. No talking, no looking in eye, just movement through motions."

I frowned. "Oh."

"Do not know what to make of situation. Especially because..." she trailed off.

"Because what?" I prodded.

Abbey leaned in a bit. "He says Abbey is no longer cold to the touch."

I reached out for her hand and touched it. I flinched and retracted immediately.

Abbey's eyes widened. "So I am still cold to the touch?" She seemed relieved.

I nodded fiercely. "Yeah."

"Must be Heath no longer feel cold after five years," she reasoned. "Lagoona talk about how he more adept with flames and heat. Fire body must adjust to differing temperature now."

I grinned. "You talked to Lagoona about Heath?"

Abbey looked away bashfully. "That and also," she turned back to me, "learned about fire elemental information on arrival."

I nodded slowly. Lagoona had talked to me about that. "Right." I felt a little embarrassed about calling Abbey out. "You should try to make the best of it. You never know what might happen."

She nodded and looked down, a grave expression etched across her face. "Something bad."

I shook my head. "No, Abbey," I reached out and put a hand on her cold, bare shoulder, "something good. Just make it that way."

The Yeti ghoul looked back at me with wide eyes.

I smiled. "Have fun. It might not be what you expected, but you'll only enjoy it if you let yourself."

Abbey gave me a small smile. "Cheesy yet inspiring talk from Cleo. World really is crazy."

I gave her a teasing glare. "Just go."

She laughed and ran off towards the fire elemental who was currently talking to Jackson at the drink table. Heath jumped slightly when Abbey held his hand.

" _What's your problem?_ " a voice shouted. Behind me, I saw Bram Devein stomp up to where Deuce stood with Holt. Bram pushed past the Gorgon. "You can't DJ for one night?"

I didn't hear Holt, but whatever he said irritated Bram more, and the blond vampire advanced towards the other monster. Gory swiftly stepped in between them.

"Settle down," she told her boyfriend. "Don't waste your anger on him."

Bram relaxed, then smirked and brought Gory closer to him. "You're right." He brought his hands down to her waist. "We've lived for centuries and we're hardly legends. But him," he jerked his head toward Holt, "he was only sixteen and his name was known almost everywhere in the monster community. Now look," he scoffed, "he's so pitiful it's laughable."

Holt rushed at the vampire, snatching Gory off him. Bram stood stunned, his arms still outstretched to where he had held his ghoulfriend. Holt had his fist up in the air, but his asperity vanished and tenseness took its place. He stood awkwardly in front of Bram, restraining himself mid-impulse. The vampire remained unmoving and wide-eyed.

"Hey." Deuce approached Holt from behind and grabbed his shoulder, trying to pull him back. "Relax, dude."

Holt begrudgingly complied and wrenched his shoulder away from his grip.

Gory took the opportunity to grab Bram by the hand and rush him over to the dance floor, the blond giving off an uncharacteristically high-pitched yelp the second she dragged him off.

"How come you won't get on the booth?" Deuce asked Holt cautiously, clearly worried his temper would flare up again.

Holt groaned and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I don't even know where to start!"

This was getting ridiculous. Before I knew it, I was walking over to them.

Deuce looked surprised. "Cleo, uh, we can hang out in a sec but now—"

"What is wrong with you?" I asked Holt pointedly.

He opened his mouth to protest but I cut him off.

"Yes, things are different," I began, rushing out words with only my emotions to guide me. "And yes, everything pretty much sucks."

Holt's shoulders eased as he calmed down, and I surged on now that I knew he was listening.

"But even though there are plenty of reasons to feel bad," I poked a finger at his chest, "there is no reason to avoid something as good and as fun as the things you love. And the last monster I'd expect to dodge happiness—a chance to live in the moment—is you."

Holt stood there dumbfounded, his amber eyes wide. Deuce grinned beside him and chuckled lightly.

"The Holt I knew lived in the moment," I said, my spur of emotional flare subsiding. "He hardly had time back then, but now, with all the time in the world... Why isn't he taking the chance?"

Holt sighed, and for a moment I thought my words had failed to get through to him. He looked up in thought and then a smile—probably the first real one I've seen on him since I've been here—slowly spread across his face. "I'll..." He looked around at the crowd. Crowd? I hadn't noticed I had attracted so much attention. "Be back in sec." He turned on his heel and ran.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"What are they cheering for?" I asked Deuce. "He ran away."

Deuce grinned. "Nah, he just went to get ready for the party." He pointed his thumb toward the direction Holt ran, which led toward the cabins.

"Oh, okay," I replied. Now that I think about it, the clothes Holt wore stuck out from the rest of our party outfits. Funny how his really simple clothes made him stand out. Back then it'd be his flashy clothes that'd make him stick out.

"That was some talking to you gave 'im, Cleo," Operetta said as she approached me.

"Mmhmm." Honey Swamp walked in beside her, Viperine at her side. "Nice work, sugar."

I blushed and thanked them.

I felt Deuce put his arm around me and I stiffened for a second. "That's my ghoul."

...

Guilt doesn't feel good after lifting someone else's spirits.

I waited anxiously for Holt to come back. It wouldn't be a real party without him as the DJ and he was going to do it. My bolts would be sparking with excitement if I was in my own body. I let out a frustrated groan at the thought.

Deuce pulled back his arm. "You okay, babe?"

"No, no, I'm fine," I assured him. "Something came across my mind and... yeah."

The Gorgon shrugged in response and gently reached for my hand. I let him hold it.

I looked out toward the party scene. We were at the edge opposite the tables so it was nice to overlook the party like this. I noticed Abbey scolding Heath by the table Jackson stood by, who looked really frustrated with the two of them. Lagoona was laughing as they argued while Scarah... She was looking straight at me, her blank white eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed. I wonder why she'd be—

 _Stay right there._

I jumped at the sudden voice. It... It was Scarah's. In my...

Deuce squeezed my hand, sensing my unease. "Sure you're okay?"

I looked up at him and forced a smile. "I'm fine, um, Deucey." Cleo called him that, right? "I just—"

Scarah appeared in front of me. "There you are!"

"—need to get some punch! Come on, Scarah." I grabbed her forearm and led her toward the snack table. "Let's get some punch."

She didn't say anything as we made our way across the dance floor to the tables, but she pulled back her arm once we were there.

"So Scarah..." I said slowly. "What's up?"

"I'll tell you what's up." She pointed at me. "You have been lying to us."

I stiffened. "About what?" I asked, my question sounding much too perky to sound believable.

The green ghoul stepped closer to me and whispered softly, "Cleo isn't in there, is she?"

I let out a tiny yelp. There was no use backing out of this. Scarah was a telepath.

She stared at me incredulously, her white eyes wide. "Who are you? Why are you here?" she whispered harshly. "Why would you take over Cleo's body and play us like this?"

"You don't know who I am?" I asked timidly

She shook her head. "I know you don't belong in there."

"I promise you, Scarah," I began steadily. "I'm a friend."

She scoffed. "Or a parasite."

"No!" I interjected. "A friend," I coaxed. "You can trust me. Please."

She stared at me for a moment, then sighed. "Why are you in there anyway?"

A weight lifted off my shoulders. "I didn't want to be. It was a... mix up."

"Are you going to tell me who you are?"

I thought about it for a moment. It'd be nice if someone knew but... "Not yet," I told her. "You'll find out soon enough."

She narrowed her empty eyes at me. "And I should just trust you, then?"

"Please, Scarah, I just want to get back in my own body. Cleo, too."

The Banshee's daughter shrugged. "I can help you with that."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Seriously?"

Scarah nodded and I was fidgety with excitement. I moved to hug her, but she stepped back.

I brought my arms down sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she replied. "But you should know that I can't do it without the other body."

"Oh." My excitement faded. "Right."

"So you need to get it and bring it here," she stated like it was the simplest thing in the world.

I tried saying something but it came out like a bunch of stutters. How could I explain that this was a lot more complicated than it seemed?

Scarah ignored me and continued. "And mind swapping is a real toughie, reserved for only the highest level telepaths..." She seemed to be talking more to herself than to me. "I'm gonna need some reference."

I hadn't realized she brought her attention back to me. "Huh?"

"Books," she said, "about more advanced forms of telepathy. I wouldn't wanna wreck anything." She paused. "Tricky thing is, there aren't any books like that here. And the only place where I know there would be is..." she trailed off, her expression darkening. She was silent for a long moment.

I was growing impatient. "Where?"

She looked back at me, a dismal look in her blank eyes. Scarah took a deep breath before she finally answered:

"Monster High."


	16. The Party: Part 3

"Monster High," Scarah told me. "You have to go back."

"What?" I exclaimed. "I thought it was destroyed."

"More like 'caved in on itself'," she explained. "The library—everything—would've sunken into the catacombs."

"But why me?" I prodded. "Why should I go there?"

"You know more about what affected you," she said. "I'll tell you the name of the books before you go."

"What good reason is there to leave?" I asked. "Without telling anyone the truth about it, I mean."

The Banshee's daughter brought a hand up to her chin. "Hm," she brought her hand down. "Not sure. You have any good excuses?"

A record scratched before I had the chance to respond. Everyone froze when the music stopped and turned their attention to the monster at the DJ booth.

Torchlight reflected off him, and his bright eyes fiery and abnormally bright amidst his azure skin. He wore black jeans and a red dress shirt, a black tie loosely placed around his neck. He shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Heeey," Holt half-sang. "First off, I wanna say sorry 'bout not doing this earlier. And I get that it's been a while but," his saw me and grinned, "I couldn't say no to royalty."

All eyes turned towards me, and I gave a small wave.

"'Cause we all know the world sucks," Holt said, sounding more like his old self as he spoke with a smile, "but that doesn't mean that we have no reason to enjoy it! And I think we all know there's no better way to enjoy unlife than a party!"

Everyone burst into cheers. Holt yelled over the crowd, "Tonight, we're here to show that we got enough to be happy about! That the future is ours!" He grinned broadly as everyone cheered louder. Then he started up a track. Holt beamed at the response he was getting. He turned up the volume and shouted encouragingly over the voices, "Now let's party!"

-.-.-.-

The party sprang to life as soon Holt had taken over the DJ booth. Everyone had gone wild dancing and even singing in unison—now _that_ was fun. Lost in the moment, it had felt like I was really connected to it all. It was as if nothing had happened. That I never woke up in this strange world and this was just a regular, fun party. As it went on, the beat of the music dulled and the pulse thrummed in my ears. My legs swayed and I couldn't stop my eyelids' incessant fluttering.

" _Nefera_." The voice was high and feminine. Familiar. " _You can't_."

I recognized it. Whisp...

Then came a harsher, almost broken voice, " _Not without your help I can't_."

Nefera.

I couldn't resist anymore. My eyes slammed shut.

* * *

It has been six days since Nefera became Whisp's finder. When she was summoned, the genie expected nothing more than another vapid wish that would make her happy. She wondered how much longer her happiness would last than the wish before. But when Whisp appeared beside her finder, the mummy had a steely look on her face.

"Follow me," she said.

Whisp knew better than to question her and followed her down the staircase beneath her pyramid home. Once they made it down, the genie was stunned at the sight before her: rows and rows of ancient amulets, charms, and idols splayed out on shelves before her. Nefera spent some time finding what she was looking for, but the moment she returned with a sparkly green charm and a gaudy golden amulet, Whisp knew this would be nothing like Nefera's other wishes. Magic like this was dangerous. The stronger and bigger the spell, the more severe the curse that came from using it.

"It's school gore-rientation day at Monster High," Nefera said, clutching the artifacts to her chest. "My sister was supposed to help, but she has a monster cold."

Whisp felt a sense of relief. "You're trying to heal her—"

" _No_ ," Nefera snapped. "I want to use her." She started up the stairs. "Meet me in Cleo's room."

"Nefera... you can't."

She stared straight at her. "Not without your help I can't."

Whisp reluctantly complied. She tried to ignore Cleo's chattering on the phone. Whatever Nefera had planned was not good—Whisp felt it in her gut.

"She's going to repeat her senior year," Cleo said. "She cheated! But what else would you expect from Nefera?"

As if on cue, she barged into the room, and began to rub the charm. The genie wished there was something she could do to stop it.

"Genie!" Nefera yelled as the charm activated while Cleo stood before her, wide-eyed. "I wish this charm won't curse me!"

Whisp did as she was told, but she had no idea how her genie magic would compete with this power. She couldn't predict what would happen, but somehow, Nefera knew. Her body collapsed, and Whisp heard her finder's pretentious tone in the voice of the younger mummy.

Cleo.

"This will have to do," Nefera said, staring down at herself.

"I don't understand," Whisp said. "What did you do?"

Her finder lifted the charm off the floor. "This allows its caster to always be lucky." She looked down at her fallen body. "Your magic prevented the charm from cursing me, and I thought it might be like this."

"You thought?"

"Hoped," Nefera corrected, glowering through Cleo's blue eyes. "I may not be in my own body but... At least it's my sister and not me suffering."

" _Suffering_?" Whisp knelt by the fallen Egyptian princess. "How? She's unconscious."

Nefera was silent until she said, "The curse was an eternal slumber." She tucked away the green charm and took out the golden amulet. "I'm going to take her body to the tomb grandmummy set up for us on the mountain," she stated. "I'll be back in an hour. We're going to gore-rientation."

Again, Whisp reluctantly complied, but not before sneaking a trip down to the room full of artifacts. Nearly a minute before she had to leave, Whisp finally found what she was looking for.

When they arrived at Monster High, Nefera wanted to go someplace else entirely. She took Whisp out to an abandoned farmhouse near the school.

"Remember," the genie said, "you have two more wishes left."

Nefera didn't snap back. Instead, she stilled. Then she said, "I wish that this amulet wouldn't curse me once I use it."

Whisp folded her hands together and did what she was told. Yet she couldn't help but wonder what her finder would use the final wish for.

Once inside the farmhouse, Nefera took out the amulet. Whisp sensed its power the moment Nefera began to activate it. The earth seemed to as well. The whole floor quaked beneath her. Blinding blue light shone from the amulet and shot through the roof of the farmhouse, spreading in the sky like a pool of light.

" _Genie_!" Nefera shouted. " _I wish to be placed in the best monster. The best monster to get what I want done_."

Although Whisp had no idea what this wish meant, she clasped her hands together and hoped for the best. The light ceased and Cleo's body fell to the floor. Whisp had no idea where Nefera was, but she took the chance while she had it. She took out two small golden charms she found from the artifact room. Earrings. She crept up to Cleo's fallen body and gently placed her head in her lap. Carefully, she replaced her earrings. "Whoever you are," she said, "this will help you."

In her other hand, Whisp clutched a matching set. She put them on just as the door burst open.

"Not my first choice," Nefera's tone was prominent, "but it'll get the job done." She stepped into the light.

Whisp gasped. She looked back at Cleo's body on the floor.

Frankie.

Nefera strode over to her and picked up the fallen amulet. "Now the monster world will be free of anything normie."

She turned to Whisp. "Shouldn't you be back in your lamp?" Frankie's bicolored eyes glared at her. " _Go_."

And with that, Whisp returned to her lamp, wondering just what mess she had partaken in this time.

* * *

I woke up sluggishly, a post-dream headache greeting me like the one before. That dream... That dream was insane. It was like Whisp was trying to reach out to me. As curious as I was about the specifics, I learned another important detail in the dream: Nefera's body was in the same place where I had woken up. Cleo would be there. If I could get there, then I could at least get Scarah to switch Cleo back into her own body. Then again, there was the problem of the eternal slumber curse...

I jolted, and my headache slipped away. I looked around. It was still dark outside. I hadn't realized where I had woken up. "Is the party over?" I called out.

"She's awake," Draculaura said as she bent over me.

I was lying on the ground, the dry grass cushioning my slumped over self. I craned my neck up and saw the DJ booth looming over me. Now I remembered. I had gotten so tired while dancing I must've passed out. Someone must've dragged me over to the booth so I'd have something to lean on.

"Party's been over," Heath answered, crouching down beside Draculaura.

"Real let down if you ask me." I looked back and saw Holt coming around the two monsters. "Right when it was really getting started."

"Where is everybody?" I asked them.

"Oh, they all went to bed," Draculaura said.

"Even Deuce?" I asked. I didn't see why Deuce would leave his ghoulfriend sleeping outside like this.

Heath looked away. "Uh, yeah. He has this big job coming up and he needs his rest so..." He looked back at me. "Sorry."

"But he wanted to stay," Draculaura assured me. "We would've taken you back to your room but he told us not to disturb you."

I nodded in understanding. Deuce wasn't getting much sleep lately and he needed to be prepared for the search he told me about.

"Anyway," Heath said, standing up, "it's already past four in the morning so," he yawned, "I'm gonna get some sleep in before breakfast. I'm cooking, you know."

"Unfortunately," Draculaura muttered.

Heath ignored her and ran off toward the cabins, leaving me with Draculaura and Holt. They shared a glance.

"Well don't look at me," Draculaura said after their unspoken conversation.

Holt let out a heavy sigh. He begrudgingly approached me and knelt down. Next thing I know, he's carrying me bridal style.

"Damn, you're light," he grunted.

I didn't see why this was necessary. "Why—?"

"Deuce asked for one of us to carry you back," Draculaura said. "Heath left and, sorry, but there's no way I can carry you."

We started moving forward. "I can walk on my own," I protested, pressing my hands against Holt's stomach as I tried to break myself free.

He stopped abruptly and, for a second, I thought he was going to set me down. But he continued walking as if nothing happened. "You liked the party?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied, "it was a lot more fun when you started DJ-ing."

I noticed Holt smile as I looked up at him; he seemed satisfied with himself. "Thanks."

He kept moving as Draculaura led the way to the ghouls' building. But when Holt wouldn't put me down once we made it there, I started resisting but neither one of us budged. When Draculaura opened the door, Holt lit up his hair. I was still amazed he could do that.

As we walked in the hall, Draculaura made to her room before we did, giving a small wave and a "good night" when she closed the door. I started resisting being carried again. I didn't need to be no matter what Deuce said. It's true that Cleo would—she was used to servants and would probably sincerely appreciate Deuce's request for her to be carried, but me? My parents stitched legs onto me for a reason.

So I started clawing at his shirt, then he ran towards the door to my room, and I instinctively clung onto him.

Holt somehow opened it and hurriedly dropped me onto my bed with a bounce.

"I'm never gonna carry you again," he heaved.

"I thought I could—" I cut myself off when I noticed he was stifling a laugh. A slow grin appeared on my face as I came to a realization. "You're ticklish."

"Pfft," he scoffed, the smile on his face proving otherwise. "Want me to turn out the lights?"

I shook my head. It was almost morning and I could sleep in the light.

He nodded, walking over to the door and holding it open before he left. "Oh, uh, Deuce asked me to watch over you while he's on the search for a couple days," Holt walked out the room a bit. "Just so you know."

"Oh." Deuce was being awfully protective. "Don't worry about me."

Relief flashed on his face, and he smirked. "We'll see," he said, walking out.

Letting out a yawn, I hopped off my bed and slid out of my red party dress, kicking my shoes to the corner. Left in only Cleo's wraps, I jumped back onto my bed and once again fell asleep, the soft orange blanket bringing me a lot more comfort than it had before.


	17. In a World of Monsters

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews! They really motivate and inspire me. Thank you for reading so far.

* * *

Of the multiple makeshift buildings in the rebel camp was a sort of workshop: secluded, dinky, and made of mostly wood with mismatched rugs across the floor with metal plates closing the once gaping hole in the ceiling. It was cluttered and messy; papers and tools were scattered about the room. The only ones who ever spent time in this building were those with an experimental way of thinking, especially one person in particular.

"You really shouldn't stay up so long," the cyclops ghoul advised, watching him from the doorway.

The other waved her off. "It's not a big deal, Iris."

Iris inhaled through her nostrils, vexed at his behavior. "Jackson, you didn't sleep after the party last night—"

He groaned in frustration. "I did sleep, Iris. Until four in the afternoon, actually."

The cyclops ghoul blinked, her sole eye reflecting the embarrassment at her mistake. "So you've been here since?"

Jackson walked over to the makeshift desk and sat in the wooden chair beside it. He responded to the ghoul by pointing at a plate covered in crumbs and then swiftly turned to the papers on the desk.

He heard Iris sigh when he turned his back on her. "Eating in the workshop isn't new, but sleeping in? You're always up for breakfast."

"You can blame Holt for that," he grunted.

A low groan joined Iris, and Jackson quickly recognized it as Zombie. _"Strange, now that you're two different people."_

Jackson groaned inwardly and swiveled to face the zombie, Slo-Mo. "We were always like that," he said bitterly. "This is his fault." Jackson hated to admit it, but a part of him felt like blaming Holt was the most comfortable thing to do.

The zombie let out a grunt and shrugged beside the small ghoul in the doorway.

Jackson quickly turned back to the desk. "Why did you come here, Iris?" he asked the cyclops without facing her.

It took a moment for her to respond. "I came to check on the plans."

The plans. They were everything Jackson and scientific ghouls like Iris had been developing over time. Simply little ideas they'd come up with for improving the functionality of the camp. "When I saw you I assumed you were here all day," the cyclops told him.

Jackson nodded to himself, and then raised a hand to the ghoul dismissively. "I've already worked ahead on them, so don't worry about it."

It was silent for a moment, yet he felt a nagging presence behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Slo-Mo and Iris still at the doorway.

"Um," he began slowly, not wanting to sound rude, "I'd like to be alone so if you don't mind..."

"You don't plan on eating dinner?" Slo-Mo asked in Zombie.

He shrugged. "Get someone to bring me a plate of... What is it?"

"Freezer screechza," Iris replied.

Jackson cringed at the monster term. Couldn't they have some normal food for dinner? He sighed, desperately missing mac and cheese. "Yeah, get someone to bring me a slice, please."

The two shared a glance, and then turned back to Jackson and nodded. When they left, Jackson was glad to be alone. Unfortunately, his serenity was short-lived. He heard the hiss of werecats by the open door.

"Come on, ghouls," he heard Toralei mewl from outside.

"But we were together at the party all last night," a werecat—Meowlody—said.

"Why can't we fang out with you?" her twin, Purrsephone, whined.

He heard a sigh as Toralei explained that, though she was glad to see her friends from high school, she needed her space now. Jackson heard reluctant meows come from the twins as their voices faded away.

A sudden shuffling noise sounded within the walls of the shabby workshop, and Jackson exhaled when he realized why.

"Inside today?" he asked her.

"Mm for today, yes," Toralei responded from behind him.

Jackson sighed and gave a quick a nod, still facing away from the werecat. The workshop was the most secluded building in the entire encampment, so Toralei liked to take naps either on the squat building's roof or simply inside it. Jackson didn't mind. They, like everyone else in the camp, had grown comfortable with one another. Of course, it had been rougher when Rocco, Toralei's gargoyle boyfriend, had abandoned her and fled overseas to Scaris. She had been strangely quiet soon after, spending a lot of time sleeping, like she was trying to escape the world. Now she limited herself to one or two naps a day, most spent at the workshop.

"You're not going to eat dinner, Toralei?" Jackson asked while he looked through the papers on the desk.

"It's screechza, right?" she asked him.

"Yeah."

There was a pause before she replied, "I'll eat some of yours." Toralei, like most everyone at the camp, knew that Jackson spent most of his time in the workshop, including dinnertime.

Jackson sighed. "I only asked for one slice."

Toralei yawned behind him. "I'll eat the toppings then."

Jackson smiled to himself, thankful that he wasn't going to be eating some crazy monster world topping like eyeballs.

Toralei's purr-like snore soon filled the silence of the workshop, and Jackson turned back to see her curled up on a rug in the corner. She looked so cat-like and inhuman. It both fascinated and frightened him. Oftentimes, Jackson had to remind himself that she was a monster. He'd been exposed to monsters his whole life yet he had never realized how much the human part of the world meant to him. Now it was gone to him. Thankfully, Jackson wasn't taking it too hard, even though a part of him felt more so an outcast now that he lived in a world of monsters... But he preferred to ignore that.

As he flipped through the papers on the desk, skimming over plans and ideas, Jackson began to wonder if any of this planning was worth it. The rebels planned on exposing the Queen, not living at this abandoned summer camp forever. On the other hand, Jackson couldn't begin to wonder what would happen once they did leave.

What good is a normie in a world of monsters?

A sudden knock sounded behind him, and he jumped in his chair. He glanced over his shoulder.

"Yo," Holt said, holding up a plate of screechza, "gotcha your food."

Jackson exhaled, relieved yet annoyed that it was Holt standing in the doorway. "Thanks," he replied. Of course, they would send him. It was strange to see him. He never visited the workshop. That and physically seeing his former alter ego was still jarring to him.

Holt placed the plastic plate of food on the floor by the door and raised an eyebrow at the sleeping Toralei. Jackson gave Holt a quick glare as he got up from his chair and went across the room to grab the plate.

"What're all these?"

As he knelt down and lift the plate off the floor, Jackson looked back to see Holt at the desk, rummaging through the papers.

"Holt!" Jackson rushed over to him, hurriedly setting down the plate on the desk and frantically snatching the papers out of Holt's hands. "Don't touch these. I've organized them."

The monster scoffed. "Organized?" Holt looked around the room, pointedly glancing at the discarded papers littered about the floor.

Jackson sighed. "Those are old plans."

"Then why're you keeping them?" Holt headed toward a clump of papers on the floor.

"We could need them," the human explained. "If we decide to improve on something it would be useful to look back at the original design."

"Ohh..."

Jackson set the plans back onto the table's wooden surface, and then glanced back at Holt, who was holding up a group of papers and staring at them intently.

The normie sighed. "Just put those back, Holt, please. Everything has its place."

The monster didn't respond, his amber irises continuing to scan the sheets.

Jackson groaned and began walking towards him. He couldn't imagine why he was so interested in—Jackson caught himself, freezing in his footsteps. He recognized what Holt was holding. He swallowed. "Uh, Holt..."

He looked at him, eyes blazing. "The hell is this?" Holt's hands had already begun melting the edges of the sheet.

Jackson was taken aback at his reaction. He didn't expect Holt to be so angry about it. "Calm down. Those are just—"

"Something you forgot to tell me?" Holt took a step toward him, crushing the paper in his hand.

"I-it was my body, Holt. I did what was right—"

" _Our_ body," Holt said through clenched teeth. He simmered with anger.

Jackson frowned, ignoring his correction. "It's not like you care anyway!" he nearly yelled. "You got the better half of the deal!"

Holt shook his head. "I had no part of this. You kept me away for a year." He looked down at the crumpled piece of paper in his hand and grimaced. "This," he tossed the paper at Jackson, who caught it in both hands, "is insane."

"I still don't understand why you would care—"

"You could've told me," Holt seethed, already taking steps out of the building.

Jackson stood where he was, trying to come up with an explanation to soothe monster's anger.

Holt sighed and pointed upwards. "S'why I never came in here."

Jackson looked up at the scraps of metal covering the once-gaping hole in the ceiling. The workshop was the same room Holt woke up in after a year of being kept back. Jackson looked back at where Holt was and stuttered when coming up with an excuse to calm him down but, by the time he looked back, he was gone.

"Oh, good the food's here."

Jackson whipped his gaze over to Toralei, who was up and walking over to the desk behind him.

He turned to face her. "Uh, Toralei..."

She peeled off the screechza's toppings. "Yeah?"

"You..." Jackson started off timidly. "You heard all that?"

The werecat looked back at him blankly for a moment and licked grease off her fingers. "Nope," she finally said.

The normie narrowed his eyes at the werecat, then grabbed the slice of screechza once she had done away with the toppings, dropping the crumpled paper in his hand to the floor.

Toralei sat on the chair by the desk. "So what'd you do to piss off your brother?"

Jackson coughed as he swallowed a bit. "Brother?"

She shrugged, swaying her tail casually. "Same parents, right?"

"Y-yeah..." He never thought of it that way. Technically, Holt was family. But brother? Jackson wasn't so sure. He was a part of him. Then a different thought occurred to him, and he looked at Toralei suspiciously. "I thought you didn't hear anything."

A smirk grabbed at the upper part of her lip. "I didn't," she responded, flicking her tail.

Jackson sighed. "It's a long story."

"Spill."

He avoided looking at her when he explained. "I haven't told anyone this but... When Holt and I were separated..." Jackson glanced back at Toralei, her expectant green eyes signaling for him to continue. He looked down. "Only one of us could stay in the body... And that was Holt."

He looked back at the werecat, her expression surprisingly unfazed. "So you shouldn't be here, then."

"No... You know the drugs I used. I also used potions. That, the math, Scarah's telepathy, and the electricity led toward us being split—and we are, clearly—but that only separated our minds."

Toralei furrowed her brows. "So the body just kicked someone out?"

"Exactly. I didn't know which one of us would be but, since I decided to let Holt out before it happened, it would only be logical that I'd be the mind outside the body."

The werecat got up from the seat and narrowed her eyes at Jackson. Then she reached out a finger and jabbed at his side.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, jumping back. "W-what was that for?"

She snickered. "Just checking. You seem pretty real to me."

"Yes, of course I do. M-my mind worked like it would if I had a body—as if I never lost it."

"So you don't have a body?"

"Not then. The potions made sure my mind developed one over time. About a year after Holt and I were separated, I finally had my own body."

Toralei scoffed. "Magic... Never thought it'd actually be capable of that."

"The paper Holt found today showed my notes about the experiment."

The werecat nodded slowly. "So how was it like? Not having a body?"

"Just like actually having one. Like... like a projection with all five senses."

"So not your brain but, like, your spirit? Your soul?"

Jackson looked at her skeptically. "Sure..."

Toralei grinned. "Killer."

A silence passed between them, and Jackson couldn't help but feel awkward.

"So..." he drawled, "should I apologize to him?"

Toralei rolled her eyes. "I'm not your conscience. I don't give a crap whether you apologize or not. But," she sat on the wooden chair and leaned back, "he's probably the last monster you want to keep mad around here."

-.-.-.-

After searching the sunset-lit encampment for Holt, he finally found his former alter ego outside the walls of the kitchen attached to the dining pavilion. Jackson steadily approached him but stopped abruptly when he saw that Holt wasn't alone. A lilac-skinned ghoul stood next to him, holding a cobweb-designed guitar in her arms. Her southern twang reached to where Jackson was standing.

"Sure you'll be careful?" Operetta asked Holt, her eyes suspicious slits.

Holt chuckled, but his tone sounded impatient. "It'll be fine. Trust me, just lemme play."

She looked at him for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh and reluctantly handing him the guitar. "Don't make me regret this, Holt Hyde."

"No worries, Op. I'll get it back to you when I'm done." Holt held the guitar like one would hold a newborn baby as if it was precious and new to him. He leaned back on the wall and slid down it onto the dry grass, staring at the instrument with a sort of wonderment and awe in his eyes.

Operetta raised an eyebrow. "You still know how to play... right?"

Holt didn't say anything and Operetta sighed.

"Holler when you're done," she said, waving a hand as she turned away from him and made her way to the dining pavilion.

Jackson didn't move, watching as Holt stared at the guitar for a moment longer. After some time, his cobalt fingers reached out to pluck at the strings, but he pulled back, an unsure look flashing across his face.

Jackson cleared his throat and Holt looked up suddenly, his expression turning cold once he made eye contact with Jackson. "Came here to say sorry?"

"Yes, actually," Jackson replied, quieter than he meant to. He inhaled deeply before he spoke again. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Holt glared at him and Jackson glared back as if challenging him. Then Holt shrugged and looked back down at the guitar. "Okay."

"'Okay'? That's it?"

"Yeah."

Jackson was bewildered. He was so angry earlier. "B-but what about before? You looked like you were about to combust."

He shrugged again. "It's cool." Holt laughed at his stunned silence. "Look, J, I get it. You did what you had to do."

Jackson sighed. "So my apology was for nothing?"

"No..." he glared back up at him, "'cause you should've told me."

The human looked away and sat down on the grass next to the monster, casting a shadow over the left side of his face when he did. "I know," he replied. "It was our body, after all."

"Never thought I'd be the one keepin' it, though."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just sayin'... You were the one using it most of the time... I didn't get to use it much when the trigger got changed."

Day and night, Jackson thought wistfully. Back when he thought he was only blacking out by sunset. Back when the idea of another person in his body never crossed his mind. Would they have found out about each other if it hadn't changed to music? Maybe... "I know," he said sheepishly. "Sorry."

Holt shook his head. "Doesn't matter now."

The two avoided one another's gaze, and it was quiet for a long while.

"Weren't you born first?" Holt asked, breaking the silence.

Jackson nodded, turning his head toward him. "Yeah, I was."

"Then why'd you wanna get rid of your body?"

"Our... Our body, Holt. Doesn't matter which one of us... appeared first. We were both in there."

He sighed. "Guess you're right."

"So," Jackson said, "we're okay now?"

Holt grinned. "Yeah. We're okay."

Jackson's lip twitched in response, and then he rose up from the ground. He glanced down at the guitar in Holt's arms. "Have fun playing, I guess."

Holt didn't look at him. "Thanks."

Jackson walked away, heading back toward the workshop as the sky darkened. Stars began to illuminate the sky and, as he treaded through the soft, dry grass, Jackson could hear the faint acoustics of a guitar in the distance.

He couldn't help but feel relieved as he closed the workshop door behind him, which, now that he thought about it, was something he didn't regret forgetting earlier.

"They know."

Jackson almost yelped when he heard the voice in the quietness of the building. He glanced about the room. Toralei was gone. Then who, or what, was that?

A figure suddenly formed from the darkness in the corner, and Jackson felt chills creep up his spine. Then a ghoul leaped out of the shadows and, even though he hardly recognized her from the teenager she once was, Jackson knew of only one ghoul who could utilize the darkness as she did.

"Twyla," he breathed, relieved yet puzzled. She wasn't supposed to be here.

"Jackson," she replied, expressionless. "You cut your hair."

He hastily brought his hand to his head, his fingers brushing at his shortened yellow and black locks. "Yes, and you..." Jackson looked her over, not knowing what to tell her without sounding inappropriate. "Are... you." He shook his head at his faltering words. "Why are you here?"

"Did you not hear me?" she asked, taking a couple steps across the room toward the human. "They know."

Jackson brought his hand down and scowled at the younger ghoul. "Why are you here?"

Twyla sighed. "Howleen told me how to get here."

"But Lagoona and Rochelle would only ever give directions to Bloodgood's house near the city," Jackson said, "and Howleen hasn't left the camp."

The Boogeyman's daughter nodded. "She told me where the house was and then I followed the trail she left for me. Don't worry, I covered it up. She asked me to before she left."

Jackson felt more at ease now that she had explained herself. He pushed up his glasses and took a step toward the ghoul. "Have you seen Howleen at all?"

Twyla shook her head. "Not yet. But I've talked to Lagoona. I told her what I told you."

"Why are you in here, then?"

The ghoul shrugged. "There's hardly any light in here," she glanced over at the one wall candle above the desk, "so there are a lot of nice shadows. Plus, this building's pretty isolated from all the rest."

"So what was that earlier?" Jackson asked

"What?" Twyla looked confused now that the subject had changed. "Oh, 'they know'. I remembered that when you walked in. Sorry for freaking you out."

Jackson ignored her apology, suddenly curious as to what she meant by her previous statement. "Who?" he asked. "Who knows what?"

Twyla became rigid, taking a deep breath before she said, "The Queen's monsters," she said gravely. "They know where the house is. Soon, they'll find out about the rest of us, too."


	18. In the Dark

"You're telling us this now?" a low voice sounded. "Do you not realize how ridiculous it sounds? Rebels? Really?"

"I know how it sounds," a deep, southern-accented voice replied. "I've kept it from you, yes, but I know things I didn't know before. We should act. Get rid of the threat before it becomes threatening."

Another voice sighed. "Fine, but only because you haven't been wrong before."

The monsters continued conversing behind the door but–unfortunately for the one listening in—quieter this time. The ghoul hovered with her ear against the metallic surface, her wispy body a pale glow in the darkness of the hall. The thought of rebels was intriguing, but barely anything to go on. Why would anyone want to go against the Queen?

"Spectra."

The ghoul whipped her head around to face the monster that had called her name.

"Oh. Hi, Clawdeen," Spectra said coolly, her high voice soft and quiet. Clawdeen looked moody. Luckily, Spectra wore the purple, off-shoulder sweater and black skirt the Wolf had designed for her. She hoped this would keep her on her good side.

"What are you doing?" Clawdeen asked.

The ghost leaned in, floating closer to the werewolf. "Listening in on the law enforcement unit," she whispered. "Valentine seems to have some spooktacular news to tell them."

"You make it sound like he's pregnant or something," Clawdeen said sarcastically. Then she sighed and her tone became serious. "You shouldn't be standing out here listening in. They could be discussing important stuff in there."

"Exactly!" Spectra squealed, swiftly pressing her ear against the door again.

Clawdeen grimaced and reached out in an attempt to pull the ghost back, but her hand slipped through her instead. The pale ghoul snickered to herself when she felt the werewolf's claws phase through her shoulder. The she-wolf emitted a frustrated groan.

" _Spectra_ ," she growled behind her, "you should stop this before—"

"Do you ghouls need anything?"

Spectra almost fell forward when the door abruptly opened. A vampire stood before her, Adrian. His icy blue eyes were the only thing that allowed Spectra to recall his name. Otherwise, he looked like any other vampire on the law enforcement unit. He tapped his fingers on the door.

Spectra plastered on a smile. "Ooh, I was just wondering what Valentine could tell me about what happened to him Thursday night."

A different vampire came into view in the doorway beside Adrian, a scowl directed toward the ghost ghoul. "Get lost, Spectra."

She ignored him and continued, "He had dirt all over his clothes when he came in that night, not to mention that his nose was broken. If I remember correctly, he went out into the garden and then—"

Adrian's blue eyes narrowed and he bared his fangs at the ghoul. "He said get lost, ghost bitch."

"What he means is," Valentine interjected, finally stepping in front of the other vampires, "we have important business to discuss and we can't have anyone eavesdropping." He grinned coyly as he took a step toward Spectra's hovering form. "So don't you two ghouls worry your pretty selves about it."

Spectra made the mistake of making eye contact with him, and her thoughts became hazy and muddled the longer she stared. Then she felt a clawed hand on her shoulder, and she snapped out of her trance. She looked back at Clawdeen. Spectra hadn't realized she had made herself tangible.

"We'll go, Valentine," the werewolf told him, her golden eyes narrowed.

The vampire smiled slyly. "That's a good girl."

The she-wolf growled as he swung the door closed, leaving the two ghouls alone in the dimly lit corridor.

Spectra shrugged Clawdeen's hand off her shoulder. " _Clawdeen_ ," she whined as she swiveled around to face her, "what was all that about?"

"Sorry," she chided, "it just looked like you were in a bit of trouble with Valentine's 'hypnotic gaze' and all."

The floating ghoul crossed her arms. "I could've handled it."

The werewolf scoffed but said nothing.

Spectra let out an emphatic sigh. The Gory Gazette was lagging in popularity lately. With the success of her Elissabat article, _Elissabat: Fall of the Vampire Queen_ , Spectra hoped that another vampire-related story could continue gathering attention from her readers. But, like her prior article, she only had so much information she could work with. Clearly, she had to incorporate some speculative details.

Ghostly chains rattling, Spectra glided over to the she-wolf, who was already heading down the hall. "Aren't you at least a little bit curious, Clawdeen?"

"They're the law enforcement leaders," she huffed. "It's none of my or your business, Spectra."

The ghost frowned. "I'll say," she muttered. "Rebels. Who would ever want to go against the Queen?"

Clawdeen stopped in her tracks. "Rebels?"

Spectra nodded and swept her pale form in front of the werewolf. "Crazy, right? A bunch of monsters with a goal to—"

"Who are they?" Clawdeen cut in, the hope in her eyes illuminated by the dim ceiling lights.

The other ghoul shrugged. "Not sure. Former Monster High students. Venus—you know, McFlytrap—is one of them."

The werewolf's eyes widened. "H-How do you know that?"

"I know just about everything that goes on here," Spectra beamed. "She came to visit Valentine on Thursday last week and—"

"That's what you were talking about..."

Spectra narrowed her eyes at the clawed ghoul. She didn't appreciate being interrupted. "Yes," she replied, "I was trying to get to the bottom of it all but," she sighed, "you saw what happened."

Clawdeen's brows were furrowed as if in thought. "Come to think of it," she said slowly, "he did have a funky scent on him that night..."

The ghost practically squealed. "You were there?"

"Yeah, his nose was broken but now it's healed, of corpse—vampire. But I didn't see Venus and wait..." She looked at Spectra skeptically. "I thought you knew about it?"

"I do," she assured her. "But being a distant observer is nothing compared to a firsthand witness. How am I going to get honest news without a witness?"

Clawdeen sighed. "What I just said is pretty much all I know about it."

The floating ghoul quickly noted what the werewolf had told her on her iCoffin. She was putting her phone back into her pocket when Clawdeen said,

"I bet it was Venus who broke his nose," she grunted. "He had it coming."

Spectra slowly pulled her iCoffin back out, pressing the recording icon on another app. "Why would you say that?" she inquired. "Kieran Valentine is head of the Queen's law enforcement unit, after all."

"He's a shady bastard nowadays but he seems to know what he's doing. And he cares. But I still don't get why our 'law enforcement unit' is designed like this," the other ghoul griped.

"So you're saying you oppose the Queen's decisions?"

"What? No, it's not that it's—"

"You think Frankie is unfit to rule—to _lead?_ "

Clawdeen took her time to reply, and Spectra smiled triumphantly.

"Look," the she-wolf said pointedly, glaring at the ghost ghoul, "I know what you're doing. But..." She sighed. "I'm gonna stand by Frankie. Even if she's been distant lately, even if I don't agree with her decisions every time... You and Frankie are some of the only friends I have left."

Spectra grinned and ceased recording, tucking her iCoffin into her jean pocket. "Nice answer," she praised. "I wonder what The Gory Gazette will think about it."

"Spectra," Clawdeen growled, "don't you even think about—"

 _"Did that ghost send you?"_

The two ghouls turned their heads toward the voice coming from down the hall.

"You tell Spectra we don't want to be a part of her news story crap."

A yelp sounded and a translucent figure phased through the wall, the ghoul's dark lower half swishing as she fell backward and caught herself, floating upright. " _Well_ ," she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Sirena!" Spectra called, gliding over to the hybrid ghoul.

Sirena greeted the other ghost with a bright smile as if she didn't just get pushed through a wall a second ago. "Spectra! I've been searching the palace all over for you. I would've found you sooner but I got a little—"

"Distracted?" Clawdeen cut in, walking to stand beside the floating, glowing ghouls.

Sirena grinned sheepishly. "Just a little."

"What were you doing in there, Sirena?" Spectra asked. "Did you find out anything juicy I can use for my blog?"

The half-mermaid's tail swayed back and forth. "Like I said, I got distracted. I guess I just drifted in there when I was looking for you."

"Don't bother telling her," Clawdeen interjected. "The stuff they say in there is supposed to be classified."

"Oh, but I didn't really hear anything interesting," Sirena assured the werewolf.

The sides of Clawdeen's lips edged upward. "Good."

Spectra's face fell. She wished she could hide in the shadows like Twyla did before she left the palace. She could've found out about these rebels. "Why were you looking for me?" she asked.

"Oh, well, um..." Sirena glanced at Clawdeen, and the she-wolf sighed heavily in response.

"Fine, I'll go." Clawdeen disappeared down the corridor.

"Sorry," Sirena called out meekly as her form faded.

Spectra faced the other ghoul. "Soo..?"

Sirena smiled. "Follow me." The half mermaid's tail flicked as she swiveled around and swam through the air, her ghostly form swallowed up by the ceiling.

Spectra phased through behind her, bright sunlight suddenly flooding into her eyes. Once she had adjusted to the light, Spectra looked side to side as she hovered over the palace's roof until she caught sight of the other ghoul's black tail fin flicking beside the palace walls below her. She soon found herself gliding above the palace grounds, stray leaves of unpruned trees and sloppily-trimmed hedges slipping through her incorporeal skin as her shadow moved along the ground below. Sirena made a right turn once Spectra had caught up with her, and she followed suit as she phased through a hedge in front of her to the open, revealing another hybrid ghoul.

Sirena acknowledged the ghoul with a smile. "Bonita," she said, "did you see her?"

The pink ghoul shook her head. "Not, yet." A look of worry crossed the bony moth monster's face. "Are you sure this is okay?"

"We're just looking," Sirena assured.

"Looking at what?" Spectra said as she floated down beside the other ghouls.

Bonita nibbled on the sleeve of her yellow dress nervously while Sirena explained.

"The Queen," she said quietly. "She's been going into that building almost every day now." The half-mermaid pointed in front of them. Spectra had to squint to notice the front of a building in the distance obscured by messy shrubs and elongated vines. She couldn't help but wonder how the Queen—how _anyone_ —could get into a building so enveloped in green.

"Okay," she said skeptically, "we just need to find out why."

"We?" Bonita squeaked, pausing from filling her sleeve with holes. "I don't want to get in trouble..." She slowly resumed biting chunks out of her outfit when the other ghouls didn't respond right away.

"What would you get in trouble for?"

Spectra was startled at the voice, and Bonita loudly ripped a piece of fabric off her sleeve in surprise.

Sirena was remarkably calm. "We're just looking."

"At what?" Neighthan Rot came into view with his gray, veiny arms crossed. His long, tricolored-black hair and blue horn looked odd without a hat, not to mention his plain black uniform.

"The Queen has been going into that building—" Sirena said while pointing at the wooden shack-like structure, "—every day now."

The zombiecorn's blue eyes softened, and he uncrossed his arms and shrugged. "Yeah, you... you didn't know that?"

Sirena's eyes widened. "And you did?"

"I didn't even know that," Spectra interjected, gliding between Sirena and the half-zombie. "How long have you known?"

Neighthan's brows scrunched together. "Since she told me..." He looked past Spectra over to the other ghoul. "You didn't know?"

"Not until about a week ago when I started making daily trips around here," Sirena explained. "I wanted to keep my distractions limited, but I guess going the same way over and over again doesn't make a difference." A smile tugged at her lips. "If you go this way there's a ton of colorful little bugs that—"

"So," Spectra cut in, trying to get Neighthan's attention, "when did she tell you?"

He sighed. "I don't remember. She's been doing this for years now."

Spectra did well at hiding it, but she was bristling. How had something like this happened without her noticing? "She must want you to keep watch or something," Spectra mused. "Either that or she really trusts you."

Neighthan brought a hand to the back of his neck. "Yeah... I'm not really sure about that. She's been really distant lately."

Spectra giggled. "Lately?"

Neighthan opened his mouth to protest when Bonita called, "Quick! Behind the bushes!"

The monsters turned their heads back and saw the minty-green skinned queen making her way to the small building, and they responded immediately, instinctively leaping behind the hedges.

The four of them peered over the leafed mass at the Queen's distant figure hurriedly closing the building's door behind her. They let out relieved sighs and settled down on the grass beneath them.

"I don't see why it's such a big deal," Neighthan said. "She always goes in there."

Spectra looked back over to the wooden structure. "But we need to find out _why_." Before she knew it, she glided to the building. She stopped abruptly at its ivy-covered wall and gently pressed her ear against it, listening intently, but there was no sound.

"Spectra!" The ghost ghoul looked back to see Bonita flying over to her. "Let's go."

Spectra grimaced and brought her focus back to the building, ignoring the half-skeleton. She heard Bonita sigh worriedly, her massive wings fluttering rhythmically as she flew away. Nothing would keep Spectra from finding a story. She took a deep, needless breath and phased through the wall.

Only to be greatly disappointed.

"There's nothing in here!" she cried aloud, observing the bedraggled, empty room. Her glowing blue irises flicked about the inner walls of the tattered building's bare wooden walls. No one would read a story about grass seeping through the floor of some ramshackle piece of—

She clenched her fists at her sides. " _Argh!_ "

At that moment she heard a click, like a key turning within a lock or pieces snapping into place. It was soft and hardly audible, but it was enough to capture her attention. Spectra remained still once she heard it, listening for it again until, there it was, the soft _shick_ of the sound.

Her ghastly form was a soft white in the dimness of the room as she drifted toward the sound. She made it to the back wall and hovered in front of it. She was sure the sound came from beyond it. Spectra dove through the wall.

A long, dark, concrete lined hallway splayed out in front of the ghost. She could make out a fluorescent light shining harshly in the near distance. It hummed faintly once she was underneath its bright glow. She continued gliding forward until she made it to an intersection: one path led left, the other, right. She went left and swiveled in the air to whatever lay at the end of the hallway, which was equally dark as its predecessor.

The end of the hall revealed a tall, metallic door. On the wall beside it was a small metal box with a thin slit at the top. Was the Queen inside?

Spectra grinned and made herself intangible so that she could simply phase through the silver door.

Her hand made it past the surface, and the rest of her pressed forward. Tingles suddenly pricked her hollow skin and stung her until a sharp shock surged through her. She didn't scream when she leaped back, but floated there, entirely stunned.

Spectra's mind took her back to her time at Haunted High, restrained by detention chains. But this was different. It didn't prevent her from leaving but entering. Phasing, in general, was a part of nature, just like breathing was for humans, and to be confined to walls, ceilings, floors...

She gulped. The world seemed a whole lot smaller.

It took a moment for Spectra to snap out of it. She reminded herself she was here for a story. She needed it.

The ghost hastily turned away from the metal door and heading toward the right hallway. She surged forward once under the fluorescent light of the intersection and flowed straight into the opposite corridor.

The ghoul hovered herself into a large and open white-walled room blazing with fluorescent light. Dozens upon dozens of floor-to-ceiling metallic shelves filled with items from all over the monster world were sprawled about the room.

Spectra scanned the shelves in awe, spotting relics from before even her time. But the most peculiar trinkets lay at the back of the room: Egyptian relics; more specifically, idols, amulets, and charms—all none like the ones Cleo had brought to school to do silly things like remove zits or have a good hair day.

Spectra floated up a shelf, scanning the idols a little closer. One of the minuscule golden statues caught her eye, and she stilled when she noticed an inscription on it. The idol was that of a man with two snakes entwined with one another, one in each of his hands, like he was strangling them. The inscription was crudely scrawled in English like someone had recently written it. In fact, almost all the idols on the shelf had words in English etched onto them.

She wondered if the Queen wrote it. But Frankie didn't seem like one to so blatantly vandalize ancient relics. However, nowadays, there was no telling what she could do.

 _Heka_ , the inscription read. The god of magic. _Activates the Ka within a body—_

Spectra would've read more if it wasn't for the sudden slam of a door. The ghoul instinctively became transparent and turned her head toward the sound. The Queen.

Frankie didn't appear to be in a hurry, so Spectra gradually hovered toward the exit as she watched her. The green-skinned ghoul sighed as she slowly closed the door behind her. Spectra noticed it resembled the one at the end of the left hall. The Queen took out a black, plastic card and placed it into the slit of the metallic box by the door; a fizzling noise sounded once she removed it. Then she reached out and touched the door, instantly retracting and waving her hand like she had been stung.

The door was electrified. That's what prevented Spectra from entering. She watched the other ghoul put the card into the sleeve of her long, white gown. The card must activate it. Spectra couldn't help but wonder what the Queen was hiding.

Then Frankie was moving toward her and she rushed backward, forgetting that the Queen wouldn't be able to see her. The other ghoul took a right and went down the hall, leaving the ghost alone in the room.

Spectra breathed out a sigh of relief and made herself visible. She took her iCoffin out from her pocket and floated back toward the idol she saw before. She snapped a quick picture of it and then opened a writing app. _Note to self. Find out what "Ka" means._

Taking advantage of the situation, Spectra glided about the room, snapping pictures of whatever she found most interesting and newsworthy. She passed by the door the Queen had come out of and stopped suddenly, a sense of curiosity and anxiety coming over her. The pale ghoul was tempted to approach it, to see if she would experience the same pain she had before. But, as curious as she was, she wasn't ready to have the same empty, helpless feeling again.

So, she turned around and glided back, going down the same hall she had arrived through until she phased through the wall into the ratty shack. When she did, she noticed a plank was loose on the wall that covered the mysterious passageways. That was how Frankie came in, Spectra concluded. She moved forward and exited the shack. She hovered in front of it for a moment and pulled out her iCoffin. She scrolled through her self-proclaimed "news-worthy" photos. She grimaced, knowing the risks of bringing any of this information out into the public. One by one, she deleted each picture, until she came across the golden idol with the man and the snakes.

She moved forward and exited the shack. She hovered in front of it for a moment and pulled out her iCoffin. She scrolled through her self-proclaimed "news-worthy" photos and grimaced, knowing the risks of bringing any of this information out into the public. One by one, she deleted each picture, until she came across the golden idol with the man and the snakes.

Spectra sighed, locked her iCoffin, and tucked it back into her pocket, hoping she wouldn't regret keeping that one picture.

"Hey."

The ghost lifted her head up to see Sirena gliding over to her, a bubbly grin spread across her face. "Did you find anything good? Anything 'news worthy'?"

Spectra looked down and smiled sadly. "No," she told the indigo-haired ghoul. "Nothing."

The half-mermaid frowned. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "It's no big deal." She floated over to her. "We should head inside anyway."

Sirena nodded and turned away. Spectra followed, and thoughts of what she discovered swarmed her mind.

What if the real story was behind that door?


	19. Onboard

Frigid water briskly met my face, and my post-dream headache left as I wiped my face dry with a towel. This dream was hard to process. All I remembered were blurs of colors and numbing voices. Maybe it had nothing to do with Whisp and it was just a dream. I sighed, then headed out to the dining pavilion for breakfast.

It'd been a week—a whole week since I woke up to all this. Sure, I was getting used to being called "Cleo", but still, it was hard to hold back what I was keeping inside. I felt like could break down at any moment.

The past three days after the party had been somewhat uneventful. I heard Jackson and Holt got into a fight, then made up. The next day I found out about Twyla, who came the day before, and yesterday I heard that something happened between Heath and Abbey. They've avoided each other since.

I trudged through the grass. The sky was a bold blue painted with wispy clouds. Today was warmer than the other days; winter was nearing its end. I grinned to myself as I took off my sweater, and then wrapped it around my waist. I was so ready for Spring. Left in my cyan t-shirt and gray jeans, I made my way to the end of the food line, my tennis shoes scuffling across the dirt ground of the dining pavilion.

"Oi!"

I looked over my shoulder and cringed. "Hey, Scarah."

Scorn showed in the banshee's blank eyes. "Don't you 'hey Scarah' me," she spat, crossing her pistachio-green arms. "Did you forget that body doesn't belong to you, parasite?"

I grimaced. "Scarah," I said quietly, "I haven't forgotten."

She uncrossed her arms and waved her index finger at me. "Remember that you need an excuse to get out of here and back to—"

"—Monster High," I cut in. "I know."

The black-haired ghoul glared at me, her eyes narrowed. "You had amnesia, right?"

I nodded, wondering why she decided to bring that up.

"I read it in your mind," she said.

I stiffened. Did she just—

"Yes," she snapped. Then her expression softened. "You really don't... This world is entirely new to you, isn't it?"

A sigh escaped my lips. "Yeah," I told her. It's been hard, but I could deal.

Scarah scoffed. "Wait 'til you see the school, then you'll think otherwise."

I tried my best to glare at her. I didn't appreciate the invasion of privacy.

"Well, maybe if I knew who you were," she said pointedly, "I wouldn't be snooping around in there."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't understand why you can't find out on your own," I said. "You can just—"

"Hey!"

Scarah and I whipped our heads back at the voice.

"Please try to move up in line!" Bram called out at the line's end.

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." I moved up in the line and Scarah followed suit.

"For some reason," she began quietly, "I can't identify your mind. It's like it's blocked by whatever magic got you stuck in Cleo's body in the first place."

Magic? How did she know—?

"I know of nothing else that can get someone trapped in another monster's body like you are," she said. "Magic is the only explanation."

Magic amulets and charms, yeah. "But why do I have to go there?" I asked while grabbing an omelet and a glass of orange juice.

Scarah followed me with a plate of scrambled griffon eggs and a glass of milk. "Like I said," she whispered, "you'll feel differently about all this once you see the school." _You'll realize the gravity of the situation._

I almost dropped my plate when I heard her voice in my head. I turned to her with wide eyes, but she just smiled.

"Now, get me those books. The sooner you get in your own body, the better."

I nodded and she turned away to sit at a table with Operetta and Johnny. I found my own table and took a seat beside Lagoona.

The sea monster faced me and grinned. "Morning, Cleo."

"My ghoul," Howleen groaned across me. "Did I miss the memo or something?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Almost everyone's wearing t-shirts today," Twyla said beside her.

Howleen sighed. "It's just so boring."

"But it's comfortable," Twyla chipped in. "Maybe you should've worn a t-shirt instead of a dress."

"But it's cute," Howleen whined. I understood the feeling. The days after the party, I've been trying to break in Cleo's golden wedges and, as cute as they were, tennis shoes were such a relief after wearing her heels for three days straight.

"Eh," Toralei came to sit beside Howleen and looked over the Wolf's pink dress. "Could be better."

Howleen's ear twitched as she slouched over and sorely shoved strips of bacon into her fanged mouth.

I dug into my omelet. As I chewed, I came to a realization. "Deuce made breakfast, didn't he?"

Lagoona grinned. "Heath let him," she said. "Pretty obvious, huh?"

I nodded and took another bite of my omelet.

A _thunk_ sounded as someone took a seat beside me. "Hey," Holt said, setting his breakfast down.

"Hi!" I blurted out, my mouth still full.

Across the table, Toralei gave me a look. Then she started laughing.

"Hey Holt," Lagoona said on the other side of me while Howleen asked Toralei what was so funny. "Hope you don't mind me asking, mate, but," Lagoona's brows furrowed together. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged and glanced over at me. "Deuce wants to see you."

-.-.-.-

Once I finished eating, I went over to the cabins. Holt had told me Deuce was preparing for the task he volunteered to do. He was leaving today. As I approached the wooden building, I couldn't help but imagine the worst. The task was called "the search" for a reason. If it was dangerous enough for monsters to get lost out there, then what could happen to Deuce? I didn't want Cleo to finally come back into her body with her beloved boyfriend nowhere to be found.

The door creaked as I opened it. It shut behind me and I walked into the first room on my right, its entryway wide open. Sunlight streamed in through the window, lighting the room slightly. Deuce was kneeling on the floor by a bag and an audible zip sounded when I walked in.

The Gorgon smiled when he saw me. "Cleo," he breathed, rising up and walking toward me. "I'm glad you're here." He reached for my hand, and I let him hold it.

I gave him a small smile. "I thought you _wanted_ to see me."

He laughed softly. "Doesn't mean I can't say I'm happy to see you."

"But..." I looked to the side, avoiding his gaze.

"Hey," his hand went under my chin, and I swiftly met his sunglasses-clad face. "There's nothing to worry about," he assured. "It's just a couple of days."

It wasn't that, but I wasn't about to tell him. Deuce needed to be out there assured that his ghoulfriend was safe; that she was here waiting for him.

I didn't respond for a while, and I closed my eyes so I couldn't see the look he was giving me. I've never seen him so genuinely concerned about another person like this. Deuce was always so calm and cool, any sort of emotion straying from that being far from palpable on his face. At first, I thought it was because his presumed-dead ghoulfriend had miraculously appeared, but I've come to realize that the way he acted around me—around Cleo—was simply that. His deepest fears his greatest dreams, all laid out for his ghoulfriend to see. Yet here I was, unfairly taking advantage of everything. So yes, I was worried about Deuce. But I've also realized that the harder I tried to hide my guilt, the stronger it became.

"Be safe," I croaked out, which confused me for a moment until I felt something warm sliding down my cheek. I opened my eyes and Deuce was looking down at me, concern practically radiating off him. He took his thumb and gently wiped the tear off my face. I was crying. Next thing I knew, my vision became blurry and I made awful gasping sounds. Tears flowed down my face like a waterfall. It'd been a week. Had it finally gotten to me?

Deuce pulled me close, and I sobbed into his chest. I felt so pathetic. Why couldn't I just tell someone what was going on?

-.-.-.-

After that fiasco of a goodbye, I went to my room to regain my composure. I was lying on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I sighed. Deuce had to have left by now. If only he could come back home to his actual ghoulfriend.

Wait.

I sat up at my epiphany. I could get Cleo. I knew where to find her and... Scarah.

I hopped off my bed and made my way out my room. I needed to leave. I needed to do as had Scarah asked: go back to Monster High and, somewhere along the way, get Cleo. Even if she was trapped in Nefera's unconscious body, Scarah could at least transfer Cleo's mind into her rightful body—the one I was currently invading. But what could I say that would allow me to leave this place?

When I walked out the ghouls' building, I saw that my job had been done for me.

Heath stood on the porch, an empty brown knapsack in his hands. He tossed at me, and I caught it reflexively.

"You gotta go," the fire elemental stated, his tone serious.

I wasn't expecting this to happen so abruptly. "Um. Why?"

"Scarah told me she scanned your mind. You should've told us."

I froze, and my eyes widened. "Y-you know?" I said, barely above a whisper.

The fiery-haired monster nodded. "Yeah."

My face fell. "Heath..." I looked down, guilt once again coming over me. "I'm sorry that I've been—"

"I didn't know your brain was encoded with a mission!"

I quickly looked back up at him. "Wha—?"

"It's why you woke up with amnesia: so you can focus on the mission!" Heath seemed oddly enthusiastic about it, and I stood there silently. So this was what Scarah meant by an excuse.

"Uh yeah," I said, slinging the knapsack's strap over my shoulder. "Exactly. The mission is what matters."

He seemed convinced. "Awesome. Well, you have to leave as soon as you can. But you shouldn't go alone so..." he looked at expectantly.

"Oh, well, um..." The next words sprung out of my mouth as I spoke. "At lunch I'll, um, inform the monsters of the, er, situation and whoever's interested can come along, I guess."

Heath grinned broadly. "Scorchin'!"

I couldn't help but smile. Same old Heath.

-.-.-.-

I tripped when going down the porch steps. It was finally noon and I was heading to lunch after having spent the past few hours in my room not only for emotional reasons but also because I needed to come up with a believable "mission". When I finally left the ghouls' cabin I had fallen forward and landed flat on my face in typical Frankie Stein fashion.

I rose onto my knees, spitting grass from my mouth. Then I stood and brushed some off my jeans. "Cleo de Nile is not a klutz," I thought aloud. "How is anyone going to believe I'm her when I can't even—!" I lifted my head and froze.

"You okay?" Holt asked, amusement glinting in his sunset-colored irises.

"Oh, I'm fine," I replied, awkwardly brushing past him as I made my way towards the dining pavilion.

He turned and caught up with me. "Deuce already left."

"I figured..."

"So you said 'bye'?"

I stopped walking and sighed. "Yes. Why?"

"'Cause I didn't get the chance." Holt moved to stand in front of me. "But yesterday he told me not to tell you 'bout the whole 'looking out for you' thing." He flashed a lopsided grin. "Whoops."

Holt had been smiling a lot more recently, that and wearing brighter clothes. He almost seemed like his old self and not the doleful monster I had met in this crazy future. I started walking again, and he walked beside me.

"I would've forgotten if he didn't lecture me about it yesterday," he admitted. "But, come on, how much lookin' after are you gonna need? You're just staying in the camp."

I sighed. "As much as I appreciate it, I think that Deuce may be being a bit... overprotective."

"Yeah, well, I don't blame him," he said. "We all thought you were dead. And Deuce... he was a wreck."

I fell silent, and a sliver of guilt cut through me.

Holt seemed to notice how the mood had changed, and let out a short laugh before he spoke again. "But now that you're here, it's all good."

"Cleo! Over here!" Heath was calling out to me from the edge of the dining pavilion.

I acknowledged him with a small wave. "Um, I'll talk to them in a sec let me just get my lun—Hey!"

He rushed over to me and grabbed my wrist. "Later! You gotta tell them while they're all here."

"O-okay," I managed to say while he pulled me along. I winced as my wrist began to heat up.

He stopped suddenly and I wrenched my wrist from his grip. I let out a hiss and rubbed it gently. Thankfully, it wasn't burned, but it did sting. I narrowed my eyes at the fire elemental. "Please keep your heat to yourself, Heath."

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I've been really..." he paused, biting his lip before he continued. "Excited since you guys came and now I'm having a harder time keeping my power in check."

I wasn't about to give it much thought but, clearly, there was something more than that. Even so, it seemed like everyone was reverting back to the monsters I knew. The thought was comforting. I giggled. "It's okay, Heath."

A suspecting expression swiftly crossed his face then left as quick as it came. "Okay, well," he cleared his throat. "Whenever you're ready..." He took a few steps backward and I was about to follow him until I realized he had dragged me to the middle of the dining pavilion.

I was surrounded by picnic tables crowded with monsters. I looked back to Heath for guidance, but he had already gone. I gulped when I met the eyes of the other monsters, anticipation overcoming me. "Um, hi."

They all continued staring at me with listless expressions, like students in a classroom. I failed to avoid eye contact and I skimmed gazes until I met Scarah's, her blank eyes urging me to speak. I breathed deeply before I started my explanation—my lie.

"I have something important to tell all of you," I said, which somewhat caught the monsters' attention. "I need to go back to Monster High."

Everyone became deathly silent. I could hear the soft gnawing of food.

I cautiously continued, "It's crucial that I go back and get certain books from the library. I know it's been caved in but..." I trailed off when I noticed no one seemed convinced. I cleared my throat. "I woke up with amnesia... most of you know that. I also have a..." Here it goes, "A mission imprinted in my brain, and I wasn't aware of it until recently."

This seemed to shake the monsters free from their befuddled states, and their eyes lit up with sudden curiosity.

I resumed with newfound confidence. "It's hard to explain but, the point is, I need to go."

The infamous awkward silence of the future once again decided to plague me, but I tried gathering a sort of response from the monsters. Their expressions were unreadable. The information I had given them wasn't enough to sway them. I had to come up with another lie.

"The mission isn't just about getting books, though." I paused. All I could think about was Whisp and the dreams I had. I couldn't even remember the last time I saw her... The next moment, the lie I needed finally came, "I also need to get Whisp's lantern from the swimming pool."

The place was still dead silent, but now I had everyone's attention. Familiar faces were staring at me from all sides. Whisp's lantern wasn't in the swimming pool, and I hoped no one else knew that finding her was hopeless, but I needed to find the books. I needed to go back for Cleo. I held my breath.

Then I heard a loud sigh from behind me. "I guess you're gonna need a watchdog after all," Holt chided.

The dining pavilion instantly erupted into chatter and other voices started to speak up.

"You can count me in."

"And me."

"I'll go, too."

The sudden commotion was overwhelming, but I was thankful for all the cooperating offers.

I exhaled in relief. "Alright," I said as a grin spread across my face. "We leave tomorrow morning."

"Morning?" Holt groaned.

"She's gotta do this as soon as she can," Heath prodded.

The other rolled his eyes. "Fine."

I made my way to the end of the lunch line, and Scarah confronted me again.

"Nicely done," she praised. "Whisp's lantern? I may have come up with the 'mission' part but I would've never thought of that."

"So you're not coming?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Sorry but, no. These lads would feel a lot safer having a telepath in their mists." She continued, quieter now, "But here are the book titles..."


	20. Positive

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update; summer classes help you get ahead but they're definitely not stress, or homework, free. Thank you for the reviews! Enjoy!

* * *

Draculaura's fangs punctured the filmy skin of the tomato in her hand, sending cold juice into her mouth. Her bangs and loose hair were whipped back by the wind as the light began to peek through the clouds of the morning sky. Luckily, she had her umbrella opened in the other hand.

Though most of the land surrounding the Queen's city was razed by fire, the grass beneath Draculaura's seated form was surprisingly soft and green. The vampire swallowed down her snack and let out a sigh. She had been alive for over sixteen hundred years and in about only five she had never felt more ancient.

She rose from the ground and made her way to the small brick building that was the kitchen.

Gory was rummaging through the metallic cabinets when she noticed Draculaura walk in. She turned to her with a sneer then snatched something from one of the opened cabinets. "Here you go, Draculaura," she said, holding out a palm-sized jar toward the other vampire.

Draculaura scrutinized the plastic container. "That's negative," she said. "I prefer positive."

The other vampire rolled her eyes. "Fine," she sighed emphatically as she sifted through the lower kitchen cabinet. Gory turned back with a different jar in her palm. "Here," she said while placing it into the ghoul's hand. "Enjoy your artificial bl—"

"Please!" Draculaura interjected. "Don't say it."

Gory's eyes narrowed behind her glasses. "I handed you perfectly good O-Negative and you decided on, what, AB-Positive?"

"They're just supplements," Draculaura protested.

"And somehow we're the same species," the ghoul muttered dismissively.

Draculaura didn't bother arguing. After filling herself a glass of water, she made her way out the kitchen into the dining pavilion and sat at the nearest vacant picnic table. She opened the tiny jar and poured out two circular white tablets. Taking a non-essential breath, she plopped the tablets into her mouth and hastily downed the water. Draculaura felt the tanginess of the blood supplements as they sizzled down her throat. Positive wasn't as sweet as negative but, for some strange reason, she felt as if drinking positive would help her think that way.

Positive.

Nearby, a table was crowded with journeying monsters, all of them clad in the appropriate gear. Draculaura knew they had to cross the mountain to get back to Monster High. She was glad they were prepared, but the small vampire ghoul felt worried for their safety regardless.

"Surprised to see you at this hour," a voice called from behind. Scarah appeared beside her. The Banshee's daughter fixed her blank gaze on the traveling monsters. "Worried they won't make it back?" she asked the vampire.

Draculaura sighed. "They risk so much leaving... How do we know this 'mission' is worth it? Why would we need Whisp's lantern?"

Scarah shrugged. "Wishes."

"But whose wishes?" Draculaura wondered. "What's the plan once Cleo gets it?"

The green-skinned ghoul avoided her gaze. "I can understand why you wouldn't trust her," she said. "But we'll never know 'til it happens."

"If it happens," Draculaura added.

"Well, you're right about that," Scarah said, facing her iris-less eyes toward the ghoul. "They're not going anywhere if they aren't sent off."

The vampire glanced back at the monsters, then turned her gaze back to the black-haired ghoul. "I'll take care of that."

* * *

He didn't welcome the sunlight. Its intangible glow shone through the opaque glass of the windowpane—he knew it, but he kept his eyes closed regardless. He usually woke before daybreak, but today was an anomaly amongst most days.

An unexpected knock sounded at his door, and the mattress beneath him squeaked when he sat up.

"Heeeath," a voice sang. "Time to wake up!"

Heath groaned and flopped back down onto the bed. "Go away, Draculaura." His voice was thick from sleep.

The door swung open, and he rolled over, engulfing his face in pillow fluff.

He heard the vampire sigh. "Heath," she coaxed, "you have to get out..."

The fire elemental let out a muffled groan in response.

Draculaura huffed. "What's with you, Heath?" she asked exasperatedly. "You need to see Cleo and the others before they go. Don't make us regret leaving you in charge."

Heath begrudgingly rolled out of bed and lazily stood to face the ghoul. "Why do you always bring that up?"

"Because it works," she said matter-of-factly. "You have a responsibility." She put her hands on her hips.

"I know, I know," he brushed her off and walked over to his dresser, opening a drawer and slipping on a t-shirt.

Heath was usually on top of things but he recalled when his cousin, Jackson, informed him of the news he heard from their newest arrival, Twyla. The Queen's monsters knew about their group, and it had him on edge.

"What is it with you fire elementals and your lack of sleepwear?" Draculaura asked, breaking him from his thoughts. "Spring only just started. Don't you get cold at night?"

Heath swiveled around to face her, eyebrows raised. "Fire _elementals_?" he joked.

She glared at him through mauve eyes, unamused. "I caught your cousin out on the porch a couple days ago," she explained flatly. "It was really late at night—or early in the morning, you could say—and I saw him. You want to know _why_ I was up that late?" she asked pointedly, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Not really," Heath muttered to himself while he pulled a pair of sweats over his boxers.

"Because your cooking had me _suffering_ through stomach cramps all night! Can you try microwaving something besides screechza?"

"You don't have to be a fire elemental to hardly wear anything at night," he stated, dodging her complaint. "It's just a guy thing."

Draculaura frowned. "Well, Clawd always liked wearing pajamas." The ghoul's lips morphed to form a fond smile. "He'd wear these adorable blue ones with little dog treats all over them."

Heath grimaced. He didn't like her use of the past tense, implying that the Wolf was more than missing. He started. "So that's why you're up so early," he said. "You went out there again."

Her gaze promptly shifted to the ground. "Maybe," she murmured.

"Look," he said, "don't waste your time out there. He'll get back when he gets back."

"I know," she mumbled, barely above a whisper. A clouded look surfaced onto the ghoul's face, obstructing any emotion there only moments before. It was likely she was thinking about the last time she had last seen her boyfriend. Draculaura would sometimes visit the place where they had parted ways: a small, abnormally lush patch of grass at the edge of the camp. Heath didn't know all the details, but he was sure it must've been a difficult moment for them both. Especially when witnessing the vampire's attitude about it.

Heath turned away to close the drawers of his dresser. "Anyway, if you don't mind—"

But when he turned back, all he saw was a flash of black and an opened door. He sighed and glanced out his room down the hallway, seeing a small bat flying out the building entirely, the exit wide open. Heath tried following it but, by the time he made it to the door, the small creature was nowhere to be seen.

"Every time," he muttered under his breath. "He'll come back!" he shouted indirectly. Heath shook his head and inadvertently slammed the door to the building. He walked down the porch steps but stopped at its end when he heard a low moan behind him.

"You heard all that, Slo-Mo?" he asked, turning to face him.

The door slowly creaked open to reveal the zombie's hoary visage and, with heavy steps, he sluggishly walked onto the porch. He nodded.

Heath sighed. "Those vampire powers do her more harm than good if you ask me. It's so frustrating when she takes off like that."

Slo-Mo moaned in agreement, but there was something more—sympathy.

"Come on, dude, really?" Heath scoffed. "It's only been a little over a month since Clawd left with Jane and Jin. Plus, I just sent Deuce out to look for them yesterday. Someone's bound to find them eventually... right?" A sudden sinking bubbled up in his stomach, and the zombie's somber silence didn't help.

But Heath knew why Slo-Mo would care so much about this. He opened his mouth but it was as if the zombie already knew what he'd say. Slo-Mo shook his head and replied with an assuring moan. He told Heath not to worry, and then he slowly opened the door and slumped back into the building.

If only Ghoulia had made it when the school fell.

It took him a moment before he remembered why he was outside. He looked ahead toward the dining pavilion, where all the monsters accompanying Cleo would be eating breakfast.

Just then, he heard a door close to his left. Glancing over to the sound, he saw Robecca exiting the bathrooms. She smiled at him.

"Good morning, Heath," she said.

"You're up early," he remarked.

She chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't want to be late, now would I?"

"Wait, you're not going with them... are you?"

Robecca scowled. "Why not?" she retorted. The ghoul strode forward; her right leg creaked as she limped to meet him.

Heath cringed. "That's why," he said, pointing at her leg. "You haven't had it fixed up since you did the search job and now—"

"Have you forgotten?" she asked crisply. "I can simply just," she paused as steam puffed from the soles of her boots, "do this." Robecca hovered above the ground, leveling with the fire elemental's height. Determination showed in her geared irises.

Heath narrowed his eyes. "Fine. Just be careful."

A grin appeared on her copper face and she swiftly glided over towards the dining pavilion to the others. Heath followed.

The second they got there, Heath counted heads. One missing. He let out a groan when he realized who.

Lagoona giggled when she noticed his frustration. "Good luck waking him," she teased.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, waving her off as he reluctantly trudged back to the cabin.

-.-.-.-

He really didn't want to wake him up.

After standing in front of his door for what felt like ages, Heath finally reached out, twisted the knob, and pushed the door wide open.

"Rise and shine!" he called. "Time to go—omph!" A pillow abruptly catapulted into his face; he was surprised he didn't fall out of the room altogether.

His cousin sat at the edge of the bed glowering at him and literally steaming with irritation. "I'm up," Holt said. "Be there soon."

Heath chuckled nervously. "Okay, uh, see ya." He quickly swiveled around and rushed out of the building, rubbing his cheek once he made it back to the dining pavilion. It was starting to sting. Damnit. Pillows shouldn't hurt so bad.

"Something be wrong?" Abbey asked as she approached him.

"Ah, no," Heath sputtered while dropping his hand from his face. "I just, uh, got hit with something." He suddenly felt something cool press against his cheek, and it took him a moment to notice that Abbey had placed her hand upon it.

She smiled softly. "Better?"

Heath's eyes widened, not sure of how to respond. It had been too long. It was like he'd been frozen. His throat grew dry, and he had an inexplicable urge to reach out and hold the ghoul's hand. Before he could do anything, she pulled back.

"Right," she said. "You do not think Abbey is cold to the touch anymore." Her face fell. "Will not be of help."

"N-no, Abbey, no," he stammered, instinctively grabbing her hand. "It's better, Abbey," he assured. "Thanks."

She looked confused and uneasy. "But at party you said—"

"You're not as cold to me as you were back in high school," he explained. "You still feel pretty cold, Abbey. Don't worry about it." He felt her hand relax in his grip, and she carefully intertwined her fingers with his.

The Yeti ghoul looked less shaky. "Good," she said.

A coy grin spread across Heath's face. He gently tugged her towards him so that she stood close. "Now, I have a question," he said, tilting his head to the side. "The past couple days, you've been avoiding me. Why?" He felt her hand stiffen, and he suddenly became anxious for her answer.

Abbey avoided his gaze as well as his question. "I am going," she said, barely above a whisper.

Heath was taken aback. "What?"

"With Cleo."

"But you can't leave," he protested. "It's been so long and you just got here."

Abbey remained silent, and Heath tried to catch her eyes. Her hand's grip loosened in his as she de-laced their fingers. But he tightened his hold before she could let go.

"Come on, stay," he pleaded. "You don't have to go."

She shook her head. "Cleo convince Abbey to go. She wants me to help her navigate mountaintop where I found her."

Heath's brows furrowed together. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

Abbey shrugged. "Do not know. Must be something having to do with 'top secret mission'."

Heath grinned at her words. "Isn't that awesome?"

She let out a short laugh. "You would think so."

He rolled his eyes and, taking advantage of the lighthearted moment, pulled her toward him. It caught her off guard, and even more so when he raised her arm and twirled her so that she faced away from him. He let go her hand and instead draped his arms over her shoulders. Heath leaned forward and brought his face beside hers. "So why were you avoiding me?"

Abbey groaned inwardly and pulled away.

"Abbey..." he whined.

She stopped and he heard her exhale loudly. "Is fire," she said quietly, not turning to face him. "Do not find it comforting." She abruptly strode off to where the other journeying monsters were.

Heath scowled. "Is that all?" he called after her. "Because I can control it better now that..." He stopped himself as her reasons grew clearer to him. When the Queen destroyed the land around the city, Abbey must've noticed the fire around her mountain. He couldn't begin to imagine the fear she must've felt.

"Alright, I'm here," Holt said as he approached Heath.

"You gonna eat?" Heath asked.

Holt shrugged. "I'll unlive." Then his eyes scanned over the group, and his nonchalant expression morphed into confusion. "Since when did Jack decide to tag along?"

"Huh?" Heath followed the other's gaze. Sure enough, his dark-haired cousin was sitting amongst the monsters, just as prepared for the trip as the rest were. "I thought Venus was going."

"Really?" Holt asked. "'Cause I heard Honey was gonna come."

Heath warily looked over the group of travelers. "I'll check it out."

-.-.-.-

It didn't take long for him to find Venus. The plant monster was in the garden, crouching over a bundle of dead crops. Brown strands of dead hair hung in front of her face as minuscule orbs of yellow light drifted off her verdant palms onto the plants, revitalizing them. She did the same to a couple more—brown stems gradually turning green as life grew stronger within them—before she noticed he was there.

"I thought you were going with the rest of them," Heath said.

"I'm not," Venus rose onto her feet and brushed dirt off her jeans. "I planned to, at first. But I figured that I don't want to leave the camp anytime soon."

"But you leave to the city all the time," Heath stated. "Why not now?"

She took a step toward him. "About a week ago, before I came back with the others," she whispered, "I went to the city."

She was quiet, and Heath nodded to prompt her to continue.

The plant ghoul hesitated. "I went there so I could talk to Valentine."

"Valentine?" Heath's eyes widened. "He's head of the Queen's law enforcement unit, Venus! Why would you go see him?"

The ghoul looked down and mumbled something almost inaudible.

"Uh, say that again?"

Venus hesitated. "I... I went there to make him feel sorry—guilty, somehow."

The other pondered her statement. "...So you beat him up?"

She grinned, a shyly. "Not on purpose. But I broke his nose."

Heath laughed. "Ouch." Then he became serious. "So that's why you don't wanna go with the others? You're worried you'll run into him?"

"There's that. Also, the idea of going back to the school..." she trailed off, and there was a short silence before she spoke again. "Then there's Cleo, whose amnesia is making her the nicest monster around. I never thought there'd be a day where Cleo was nicer than Frankie, the Queen."

"Yeah, it's weird," Heath agreed. "But it's a nice change."

Venus rolled her eyes. "You're just glad she isn't mean to you like she was in high school."

"Do you know where Honey is?" he asked, avoiding the truth in her statement. "Holt thought she was going to come with Cleo and the others."

Venus bit her lip in thought. "I think she's been feeling a little under the weather lately." Then she smiled. "Spring just got here. But she really wanted to go, even though Lagoona said she could handle the swimming on her own, so Viperine's keeping her company until Deuce gets back."

The other nodded as he took the information in. "Why isn't Johnny going?" Heath asked. "Doesn't he know the catacombs better than Operetta?"

Venus was interrupted before she could respond.

"That ghost don't know nothing 'bout my catacombs," Operetta shouted from the edge of the garden. The group was waiting expectantly beside her. "Now, are we gonna get a move on or not?" she hollered.

Heath shrugged. "You guys can go whenever you're ready."


	21. Blackout

We went to the crypt first. Hiking up the mountain, leather knapsacks on our backs, snow crunching beneath the soles of our boots... Returning to where I had first woken up had given me an ominous sense of déjà vu.

Abbey led us to a spot near the top of the mountain, where she had found me passed out on the snow. After recalling the direction I came prior, I moved onwards and lead the others through a small, tunnel-like nook on the snow ridden terrain. No one spoke once we made it.

Before us was the tall, golden entrance. I slowly approached the door and, after taking a shaky breath, pushed it open. Nothing had changed in the past week I'd been gone. Small torches remained hung on the tiled walls and the stone floor was the same sulfur colored brick as before. Everything had remained untouched. I walked in first, and the rest followed suit.

"Crikey, Cleo," Lagoona said as she and the others followed me inside. "This place sure is extravagant."

The others seemed to agree, mouths agape as their eyes scanned the small, elegant room.

"Mind s'plaining exactly why we're here?" Operetta asked.

"There's a sarcophagus we need to get," I told her.

"So... what? We're here to pick up some deceased feller?"

I looked back at her, uncertain. "Sort of."

She didn't question my explanation, so I decided to keep all other details to myself. I pointed ahead of me. "There," I said, indicating the opulent sarcophagus beside mine, which was just as open when I was last here. "That's it."

I walked over to the sarcophagus and knelt down beside it. The Egyptian coffin was larger than the one I had woken up in, so it would take time hauling it out. I crouched lower and grasped its edge, the golden surface smooth beneath my fingers. "I could use some help, please."

Jackson walked over. "I'll help," he offered.

Holt scoffed. "I got this."

The other narrowed his eyes at him. "This isn't a competition, Holt."

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, fine. Go ahead. Just try to lift that thing."

Jackson crossed his arms. "I'm just trying to be polite."

"And I'm tryin' to be reasonable," Holt countered.

The other let out a short, apathetic laugh. "That's a first."

I kind of tuned out after that. Plus, seeing the two side by side was just bizarre; I didn't know if I could ever get used to it. Maybe someday I could ask how they were separated. Hopefully nothing too drastic.

I turned my gaze back to the hieroglyph-etched surface of the sarcophagus, my hands still on its thick, golden rim. Was this real gold?

Jackson and Holt's squabble wasn't getting anywhere, so I tried calling for someone to help me, but before I could get a word out the sarcophagus was lifted right from under me. I looked across from me and saw Abbey, who comically heaved it onto her right shoulder.

She smiled. "Glad to help." Then she looked over at the boys, still arguing. I caught them say something about showers, gore knows why. "Time to make of the getting going," Abbey called.

The two immediately fell silent and whipped their heads over in our direction. Jackson's jaw dropped open while Holt scowled.

I walked past between them and towards the exit. "Let's go."

-.-.-.-

We dropped the sarcophagus off at Abbey's ice cave, to which she was greeted by a more than enthusiastic Shiver. There, we warmed up and prepped for the hike down the mountain. As arduous as climbing up was, moving down was even more so. I had tripped an embarrassing amount of times, which didn't help my cover as Cleo de Nile, who wasn't near as clumsy as Frankie Stein. Remarkably, no one seemed to worry about it too much.

Eventually, snow turned to sediment, and we were at the foot of the mountain. Abbey made it down first and we followed soon afterward. The area around this part of the mountain wasn't the same one we traveled through to get to Bloodgood's house near the city; I didn't even recognize it from when I accidentally rolled down the mountain and landed in the Yeti Ruins, getting me captured and taken to the Queen.

No, this area was different.

The dirt beneath us was a dark, ashen color, and there wasn't any grass or plants in sight. From here, the mountain jutted up above us, its enormous form looming over us like a tower, blocking out the sun and leaving a shadow over the barren landscape.

This was the path back to Monster High.

Operetta let out a low whistle. "Damn."

"You can say that again," Robecca remarked. "It appears the Queen's fires made their mark."

Abbey looked uneasy. "So this is way back?

"It should be," Lagoona said. "Where did you say we could find a passage under, Operetta?"

It took a moment for Operetta to register what she had asked. "Oh, right, well." She paused and surveyed our surroundings. Then she nodded over in front of us. "There."

She walked ahead and we followed her about twenty feet, where the red-haired ghoul stopped and crouched onto her ankles. Palm down, she brought her tattooed arm to the ground and brushed off a layer of dirt. A rusty, copper manhole was revealed beneath it. Operetta slipped her slender fingers under its circular edge and tugged it open.

She glanced back up at us with a grin. "All in."

-.-.-.-

One by one we lowered ourselves in and were instantly swallowed by darkness, soon engulfed by the underground's musty, earthen odor. There was some fumbling at first, but, once we had fished out flashlights from our knapsacks, we had no trouble moving ahead. Each step forward was a soft thump in the seemingly never-ending tunnel. Walls of dense rock sloped upward at our sides as we treaded onward on dense earth, our artificial lights scarcely illuminating what lay beyond. Time soon became obscured, like mist settling in a graveyard. Just how long had we'd been here?

Somewhere along the way to nowhere, the boys had begun bickering with one another. Abbey, Robecca, and Lagoona were keeping as much distance as they could in this slim space, while Operetta would sometimes glance over her shoulder and threaten them to keep quiet like a mother would to her children. The technique proved unsuccessful until she ultimately turned around, approached them, and let out a sonic scream. A small compressed one, but a sonic scream nonetheless. That kept them quiet for a while, but, because of the unchanging scenery, I couldn't tell for how long.

It felt like seconds before the two were at it again but quieter, so as not to irritate the phantom ghoul ahead. Now they sounded less bitter and instead shot complaints at each other. I could barely make out what they were saying.

"If he said you should..." I heard Jackson say.

"No way," Holt hissed. "I don't see her complaining."

Jackson sounded irritated. "That's because—"

"Fine," Holt sighed. "I'll do it. But you ask."

Their conversation ceased; so did their footsteps. I kept following behind Operetta beside Lagoona and Robecca until,

"Hey, Cleo," Jackson called from behind me. I turned around, the light from my flashlight catching him and Holt. "Would you like to be carried?"

I furrowed my brows. "Uh, what?"

"You know, carried. Your servants would do stuff for you and Holt said Deuce would like you to be as comfortable as possible—"

"Oh, that's not necessary," I cut in. "I'll do fine walking on my own. Thanks."

Holt let out a sigh of relief and Jackson looked confused. Then he shrugged and started walking again. I did, too.

"You don't want to be treated like royalty, Cleo?" Lagoona asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You were just offered to be carried—to not walk all this way."

"But what good would that do?" I argued. "I'd just be slowing down the person carrying me. I wouldn't want to bother anyone."

Lagoona didn't say anything, but she looked a little stunned. The realization hit me like a wave. It seemed to be the little moments like these that made my cover as Cleo de Nile questionable. I had no idea how long the amnesia excuse could hold out.

"Fear no more, folks," Operetta called up ahead. "We've made it."

"Made it where..?" I trailed off once I saw what was in front of me. The tunnel opened up to a wide and cavernous space littered with rubble. Stone walls soared high into a shattered ceiling and dusty, purple tiles hung from the large cracks, leaking in rays of soft sunlight into the dim area.

"Above us is where the library used to be," Operetta explained. "Now it's all crashed in right here."

I was astonished. "Wow."

"Understatement," Operetta commented. "I'm not too fond of this junk messin' up my catacombs like it is." She sighed. "Let's just get to lookin' around for those books you wanted us to find, okay Cleo?"

I nodded, then I split them up. Operetta and Robecca went to find one book, Lagoona and Abbey another; I let Jackson do what he came for, which was searching for books for his research back at the camp. They took off, leaving me with my self-proclaimed guard dog, Holt, who hadn't moved since we left the tunnel. The others had already run off in separate directions, so I moved ahead in an attempt to get him to follow. It didn't do any good.

"Holt?" I called out cautiously.

"Yeah?" he replied suddenly, snapping out of his daze.

"Over here," I said, and he looked over in my direction. "We have to start looking."

He blinked. "Right," he said, approaching where I stood. "Lead the way."

-.-.-.-

"How about this one?" Holt asked, kneeling down and pulling out a paperback from a fallen bookshelf. " _Psychics of the Centuries_?"

I shook my head. "That's not it. The one we're looking for is called _Beyond Psychic_. That one sounds like a history book."

He cringed and tossed the book back into its former place, dust rising into the air like smoke. "How long is it gonna take us to find this thing?"

"Just be patient," I coaxed, kneeling down toward a pile of books. "We haven't been here that long," I said as I began sifting through the pile. "We just have to—Got it!" I exclaimed as I raised a thick, leather-bound book in my hands. I hurriedly rubbed the dust off its cover. " _Beyond Psychic_ ," I said victoriously.

"Sweet. Mission accomplished," Holt said. "Let's go back."

"Okay," I agreed. I took off my knapsack and tucked the book inside. I slipped it back over my shoulders and followed Holt back to the tunnel's opening.

We walked silently for a while until I spoke. "So what was the big deal earlier?" I asked him. "You looked like you were frozen."

"What?" It took him a moment to process what I was referring to. "Oh, that." He looked ahead sheepishly. "I just never saw the school all beat up like others have. Hell, I didn't even know about the wreck 'til a year after it all."

"Huh?"

His eyes widened like he regretted having talked as much as he did. "Uh, forget what I said."

"Does it have something to do with you and Jackson being separated?"

He avoided my gaze. "Yeah, but I don't wanna talk about it."

I nodded, upset that he wouldn't divulge any further. It bewildered me that the monsters I knew had changed so much over the past years, but Holt was—

"There you two are!" Lagoona's voice interrupted my thoughts. She and Abbey were waiting for us, along with Jackson. "We found the book, but I have no idea where Operetta and Robecca are."

"I hope they're okay," I said. Then came a soft hissing sound.

"Oh, we're quite alright," Robecca assured, the hissing noise ceasing once her boots touched the floor.

"Problem is," Operetta said, walking up behind her. "We can't find that book nowhere."

"So my suggestion is," Robecca piped in, "that we make a detour to my father's laboratory on our way to the swimming pool. He studied a variety of subjects. I wouldn't be surprised to find a book on telepathy there."

"Great idea, Robecca!" I praised.

"We'd have to go up somehow though," Operetta said. "Y'all are lucky I know a way."

-.-.-.-

After treading through piles of fallen books, splintered wood, and shattered ceiling tiles, we walked up a long, dangerously steep spiral staircase carved into an enormous stone pillar. I choked back sobs as we passed through. I had been told the rubble had crushed many monsters, but I didn't expect to see limp, dead hands bulging from beneath the debris. Cell phones littered about the ground, a wheelchair bent by stone, cloth from a red jacket, and even a monster's broken horn. I felt like I would break down right on the spot, but I was here on a mission and that was what I needed to focus on. Nevertheless, it was challenging to keep a stiff upper lip.

We reached the end of the staircase, and dim light shone through a gap above us. Operetta heaved herself out, and her legs dangled for a second before they were swallowed up with the rest of her. Both Abbey and Lagoona followed suit, then Robecca used her boots to hover out. I let the guys go up before me, so when they were all above ground, Abbey reached down, grabbed my forearms, and hauled me to the surface. My eyes were greeted by a cloudy, gray sky and my denim-clad legs collided with long, dry grass.

I glanced up at Abbey. "Thanks."

The Yeti ghoul simply nodded and stood alongside the others.

I rose to my feet and took in my surroundings. The ground was untamed and riddled with weeds. Blocks of smooth rock were scattered about the area.

Headstones. We were in the graveyard in front of the school. Ahead of me, the gates of the school were covered in soot and rust. The bars were bent and twisted like they were ready to break. I half expected them to fall apart.

We were in the ideal place to get to Robecca's dad's lab. Satisfied, I turned back to the others.

"Alright! Let's head down—" That was when I saw the school, or, more accurately, what was left of it.

I don't know what happened next because my legs gave way under me, and my vision was slowly engulfed by darkness.


	22. Delving Deeper

Torn, broken, shattered, ruined...

The pitiful, tattered, fragmented form of Monster High was all this and more.

Lagoona gulped. She hoped to never see it again. She stared up at the charred husk of a building: large chunks of debris piled heavily and sloped downward, spilling into the courtyard as if it had toppled over like a house of cards.

It was unrecognizable.

Her mind took her back as it grasped onto memories of a happier time, just moments before it all came crashing down. School gore-rientation was supposed to make an impact on the new arrivals. But not like this. She held back any sort of emotion she could when she thought back to the monsters who were buried underneath the massive wreckage. So many... Ghoulia, Elissabat, even Gil...

A sudden thud broke the sea ghoul from her thoughts, and she whipped her head over her shoulder to see Cleo collapsed onto the untamed lawn. "Cleo!" She rushed to her side. Lagoona knelt down beside her friend and scanned the ghoul frantically for any sort of reaction.

"She's gone on and blacked-out," Operetta remarked from behind her. "I wonder why."

Abbey crouched down beside the finned ghoul. "Seemed fine earlier."

"Someone help her up!" Lagoona snapped, irritated at the ghouls' nonchalance. Before anyone could comply, she moved past Abbey and raised Cleo by her underarms. "Is anyone going to—" Lagoona stopped when she noticed the startled looks on the others' faces, clearly shocked at her abrupt attitude. She gently placed Cleo back onto the brittle grass. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just... The school..."

"Hey now," Operetta cooed. "It's all right, sugar. We get it."

"Lagoona?" Robecca hesitantly called. "If you don't mind me asking, where do we go from here?"

The saltwater monster rose to her feet. "Well, love, we split up. You can go on ahead to your father's lab." Then she looked down at Cleo's slumped-over form. "But you're gonna need to bring her..." She shifted her green-eyed gaze toward Holt. "Deuce trusts you with his ghoulfriend. Carry her down with Robecca."

Holt grunted, resentment in his expression. Then he looked confused. "Wait, we're going _down_?"

Lagoona grinned slightly as she remembered the time she and her ghoulfriends had traveled to Hexiciah Steam's lab. She chuckled lightly, "It's a bumpy ride."

Then she turned to Abbey, who rose beside her. "I'd appreciate it if you came with me to the pool, love. Your ice powers could come in handy for what I plan on doing."

Abbey nodded agreement, and Lagoona moved toward the direction of the pool.

"Hold on a minute," Operetta interjected. "Just what am I s'posed to do?"

Lagoona shrugged. "Keep watch."

The red-haired ghoul scoffed. " _Keep watch_?" she repeated defiantly. "That's really whatcha s'pect me to do while you're searchin' for Whisp's lantern? Who made you boss—"

"Op," Holt interjected, and Operetta glanced back at him; he shook his head solemnly as if warning her.

She crossed her lilac-skinned arms and huffed, but said nothing as she reluctantly complied.

"And me?" Jackson asked from beside Holt. "What should I do?"

Lagoona couldn't think of anything. "Didn't you find yourself some books to read?" she suggested, trying to sound reasonable. "Stay up here with Operetta and study them."

The human opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it and nodded. "I really wanted to see Hexiciah Steam's lab..." he muttered under his breath.

Lagoona's finned ears caught this. "We're close to the city. If the Queen's monsters patrol here, one of you can warn one side and the other another. Got it, mate?"

Jackson sighed. "Yes, Lagoona."

Satisfied, the sea ghoul turned back to face Abbey. "Come on, love. Time we check out that swimming pool."

The two ghouls headed toward the edge of the destroyed building while a scuffling sounded from behind them as the others did as they were told. By the time they made their way around the building, the silence between the two ghouls broke.

"Abbey," Lagoona began, "what has it been like all these years? For you, I mean."

The Yeti's daughter sighed. "I lived on own. Didn't have anything else but Shiver and ice cave."

The sea ghoul crossed her arms. "Sounds lonely," she remarked softly.

"Nothing changed," Abbey said. "Iris would come sometimes during week but she was never..."

"Not someone you wanted to see, huh, love?"

The ice ghoul nodded dejectedly. "Things never changed until Cleo come along. But for better? Am not so sure."

Lagoona chuckled lightly. "Well, I know I'm glad to see you. So is everyone else." A teasing grin slowly appeared on the ghoul's face. "You looked pretty cozy with Heath this morning."

Abbey looked down, her cheeks flushing red for a moment until she glanced ahead. "There is pool."

The sea monster followed her gaze and scoffed. "That is not a pool," Lagoona approached the infested water. "That is an abomination." She wrinkled her nose in disgust, unsuccessfully hiding the awful scent coming off the sickly green water. "Maybe Honey should've come along. Swamps are more her thing, yeah?"

Abbey shook her head. "I may not be water monster but," she cringed as she scanned the pool, "that is not swamp."

"It might as well be," the other ghoul said. "I've never seen a pool so disgusting." She groaned in repugnance. "I'd probably die going in there."

Abbey grinned. "No worry," she cracked her knuckles, "I am here to help." Arms outstretched, the Yeti's daughter unleashed a flurry of ice from her fingertips and solidified the murky pool water until it burst into grossly dark shards of ice.

Lagoona grimaced as cold ice whisked past her cheeks. "I appreciate whatever you were trying to do, but I don't see how..." she trailed off when she noticed the pool's surface, currently misting with frigid steam. Lagoona tackled her friend in a hug. "You're a genius, Abbey!"

Once the mist evaporated, the pool water was no longer covered in unwanted greenery. Instead, the water was left opaque, yet it appeared much cleaner than it had earlier. Lagoona felt much more comfortable with the thought of swimming in it.

Abbey carefully retracted herself from the sea ghoul's embrace and smirked. "Any more help you need?"

Lagoona nodded. "I was hoping you could use that ice of yours to make a sort of bridge leading down under." She glanced back over at the pool. "It should come in handy."

The Yeti's daughter nodded agreement, and once again let her powers radiate off her fingertips and into the pool. Soon, a thick ice bridge spiraled downwards into the water, stopping on the concrete right at Lagoona's boot-clad feet.

The sea monster smiled at her friend in thanks, and then steadily walked onto the ice until it led her to the center of the pool. Instead of letting the water rise above her, Lagoona decided to dive right in.

The coolness of the liquid encased her body in a second. She swam downwards as fast as she could, attempting to ditch the grossness of the water and head lower, where Monster High's never-ending deep end had a life of its own.

Soon, the concrete pool walls morphed into grooved rocks, and colorful underwater flora dotted every nook and cranny in sight. Lagoona slowed to a stop, swaying her body to stay in place. She smiled widely at her surroundings. It felt like ages since she had been underwater like this. She closed her eyes and took it all in. Her gills breathing in the water, her hair loose and free, the pressure of it all making her feel weightless...

Lagoona's eyes snapped open. There was no time to lose. Cleo wanted to find Whisp's lantern. She had to find it. She scanned her surroundings until she caught sight of Abbey's ice bridge, just barely spiraling down to where she floated. The sea monster swam toward it and clung to the brisk surface. She crawled down the ice like an animal, gripping onto it with her webbed hands. Then she dug her nails into it to keep herself steady, her legs dangling above her. She wasn't certain, but something—

There it is, she thought, and a grin spread across her face. A flicker of light shown below, as if it was a reflection of something—the lantern, she wasn't sure. Lagoona released her grip on the ice and surged onward.

* * *

 _"I didn't want this..."_

 _"Then don't do this. Please."_

 _The door slammed shut and I was left in darkness._

I could feel myself waking up, but I determinedly kept my eyes shut as another post-dream headache began its rampage within my skull. "Five more minutes, dad," I murmured sluggishly. "I'll recharge then..."

"Cleo?"

I opened my eyes to see Robecca and Holt hovering over me. They looked different... But why would they be in my room—?

Oh. Right. I held back a groan. It was already bad enough that this nightmarish future existed, but I was so done being trapped in another ghoul's body. I forced a smile and sat up. "Hey, guys..." I slurred out as my headache faded. "Did I fall asleep?"

Robecca smiled softly. "For a little while."

"Reminds me of when you knocked out at the party," Holt said. "You were alright and then you were out all of a sudden."

I nodded as I recalled the moment. I had a dream then, too. Except this time, it was drastically shorter than before. Yet the emotion I felt was so raw and real, that I almost felt like it was my own. I couldn't even tell what happened in the dream. What happened that made Whisp feel that way? That and I had already seen Whisp go back to her lamp. I groaned at the thought. Lagoona was at the pool searching for what was no longer there.

"We're waiting for the right time," Robecca said, breaking me from my thoughts. "Then we can open the door."

I shifted my gaze past her where the wide yellow door leading to Hexiciah Steam's lab resided. The copper-framed skullete clock above it read 11:54. Dim light streamed in from the multiple round windows in the domed bronze ceiling above. It felt like yesterday since I was last here, sparking at the bolts to see what lay behind that door.

A minute later, Robecca stood in front of it. "If I remember correctly, this should be the right time..." She grabbed the rod of the doorknob with both hands, waited a moment, and then turned the wheel. She stepped back as the bronze gears behind the door's transparent layer began to shift and turn noisily. When the turning slowed, the door's circular center opened outward. Robecca approached the entrance, then looked back at us. "This is it," she beamed. "Time to go in."

Holt and I rose from the cobblestone floor and joined Robecca at the opening. The room was bleaker than I remembered.

Robecca moved past the staircase leading to the loft. "We may be able to find what you're looking for here," she said, gesturing at the tall, stuffed bookcases. When I followed her, steam puffed from her boots. "I'll check on the higher shelves."

I skimmed book spines for the title of the one I needed to find as Robecca did the same.

"What's that?"

I looked over my shoulder and saw Holt, still at the doorway, pointing at the large, circular glass on the raised platform in the center of the laboratory.

"That's my father's time teleporter," Robecca explained. "Back in high school, some of us ghouls traveled to the year 1814." She turned back to skim the shelves. "But when we returned to the present, some of us were fused together." She glanced down at me. "That was an experience, wasn't it, Cleo?"

I nodded, even though my experience was much different from Cleo's. I didn't fuse with anyone, but I met my grandfather and, well, died. But it all worked out.

Holt's eyes widened in surprise. "Can't believe I missed it; would've had a killer party." Then he frowned. "Just one of those days Jackson kept me in..." he grumbled. He walked over to join us, then froze.

After a moment, I called out to him. "Holt?"

"Shh!" He held a finger to his lips. "Did you hear that?" he whispered.

Robecca floated down and landed softly on the floor next to me, listening attentively. Her geared eyes widened.

I heard it, too. A wheezing noise whined faintly, like a machine just before it sputters to life. A low groaning sound followed soon after, and we realized the noises were coming from above. The narrow staircase began to creak loudly—someone, or something, was coming down. Delicate, hoary fingers carefully clutched the railing as a pair of feet thumped heavily onto each step.

We didn't move when we first heard it, and we didn't bother moving by the time it descended. Long, azure strands framed a gaunt face. Blue irises stared languidly at us. When she caught my eyes, a smile slowly formed on her red lips.

I grinned back at her. "Ghoulia."


	23. Not Alive, But Still Breathing

Seeing her wasn't a surprise to me, but her condition was shocking. Ghoulia was an undead zombie but never had she actually appeared dead. Her typical outfit was unkempt on her nearly skeletal frame, and her eyes were sunken into her pale, haggard face.

"Ghoulia!" Robecca unwittingly ran toward the zombie, her right leg limping until she reached her. "I thought..." She abruptly hugged the bedraggled ghoul.

Ghoulia was startled but returned the robot ghoul's embrace. She moaned in Zombie, "It feels like ages since I've last seen you."

I approached them as Robecca retracted herself.

"Five years, in fact," she said.

Ghoulia looked confused. "Years?" she moaned. When she noticed me beside Robecca, she took a step back. "Cleo?" Scrutiny appeared in her teal eyes. "Something is off about you."

I stiffened, but forced a smile. "It's so great to see you, Ghoulia!" I reached my arms out to hug her, but she took another step back.

Robecca seemed to sense the sudden tension and laughed softly. "Don't worry, Ghoulia," she assured. "Something... happened to Cleo and she doesn't remember anything about herself. Luckily, she remembers others monsters from her unlife."

Ghoulia's eyes narrowed and she looked straight at me. "From what I see," she moaned in Zombie, "this ghoul knows exactly who she is. Observing her for mere seconds gives enough away already."

I grimaced. The hostility in her eyes sent chills up my spine. Was it that obvious? I swallowed. Somehow, Ghoulia knew I wasn't who I appeared to be.

"Uh, hey," Holt cut in. "Great to see you, Ghoulia, but," he looked over toward the bookshelves, "we're here to find some book on mind reading." He glanced back at Ghoulia. "Know where we can find one in here?"

Ghoulia staggered back onto the staircase, dumbfounded. "He looks so old..." she moaned in Zombie.

He chuckled. "It's the lighting in here, isn't it?" He closed his eyes until his hair flared into a soft orange light.

The zombie ghoul let out an alarmed moan and fell back onto the railing.

Holt cursed and instantly snuffed out the light. "Whoa, hey—"

Robecca reached out to Ghoulia and grabbed her shoulders. "Ghoulia," her voice wavered, "relax. We just need help finding a book."

The zombie ghoul shook her head fiercely, her eyes wild and Zombie moans incoherent. "Never leave. Never leave. Have to fix... time... Time, time, time..." Her whole body trembled and she clutched her head with her hands.

I could hardly make out what she was saying. Fix time? Time... I swept my gaze around the room, my eyes settling on the time teleporter in the center of the lab. I made my way toward the raised platform. On it laid an array of tools and paper with notes scribbled on them. When I took a closer look, I noticed they were written in Ghoulia's handwriting. If she was here since the school crashed, working in the lab...

"She was trying to fix the past," I thought aloud. I turned back to the others. "Ghoulia was trying to manipulate the time teleporter," I told them as I walked back. "She wanted to change what happened so that it never did."

"Then the Queen cut the power surrounding the city," Robecca said, catching on. "So she couldn't get it to work."

"But I have to."

We all gazed back at Ghoulia. She was sitting on the stair step, staring somberly at the ground.

"I can't leave," she moaned bitterly. "Not until I make it work. I have to... I have to..." She held her face in her hands, and her moans came out muffled, "I won't leave until I fix it." She sounded determined, but she wouldn't look back up at us.

I hesitantly reached my hand out. "Ghoulia..."

She snapped her gaze back up to me, her icy eyes clouded with a grave sadness. "Find your book," she moaned. "Then you must go." Then she slowly rose and trudged back up the stairs.

"We're not just leaving you!" I said defiantly. "There are so many monsters back at the camp that miss you! Even Slo-Mo—"

But she wouldn't listen. I called out to her in desperation. My throat grew dry as I shouted her name, and soon I felt tears streaming down my face. Why wouldn't she turn around?

"Cleo."

I felt Robecca's metallic hand resting on my shoulder. I looked back at her; mournful regret filled her eyes.

"We can't help her."

* * *

Above ground, Operetta was tapping her foot impatiently, her arms crossed. "'Keep watch'," she muttered under her breath. "Yeah, right."

"Could you stop that, please?"

Operetta shifted her gaze down toward Jackson, who was sitting cross-legged on the grass.

"It's kind of distracting," he admitted, pointing at her foot. Operetta quit fidgeting, and the soft thumping of her foot on the ground ceased.

"Sorry," she grumbled. She sighed heavily and lowered herself onto the grass. She looked up at the gray sky, glad that she had chosen a cotton jacket over a leather one. To her, it had gotten too warm for her jacket, and she had been wearing it around her waist since they had descended the mountain. Operetta closed her eyes and tried to recall her unlife before she got herself into this. Her days in the city were pleasant, she loved her apartment, but each hour was dragged out and unchanging from the day before. Now—when something interesting had finally happened—she was told to keep watch. She dug her fingers into the dirt.

As soon as the others had left, Operetta had talked to Jackson, who spent more time skimming through his newly acquired books than listening to her. The only time he contributed to the one-sided conversation was when Operetta asked about his separation with Holt, and Jackson stumbled over his words trying to explain until she dismissed the question entirely, and he huffed a relieved sigh.

The air grew silent, and Operetta begrudgingly opened her eyes. Jackson stared intently at the book in his lap.

The musical ghoul peered over the normie's shoulder. "Whatcha lookin' at there?" A frown creased her brows. "Thought you were finding books for science-y stuff back at camp," she said, "not some book on, what, statues?"

Jackson rolled his eyes. "It's a book on ancient relics," he explained. "I saw it and thought it'd be a nice change of pace. There's hardly any entertainment back at the camp, anyway."

"Well, there was that party the other night."

Jackson shrugged apathetically. "Eh."

"Mm," Operetta chided. "How come you stopped all your page flippin' then?"

Jackson brought his index finger to the center of the page. "This reminds me of something..."

Operetta squinted at the page, trying to make the words out. She gave up with a huff. "Jackson, I can't read gibberish."

"It's Greek," he noted. "It says 'Charm of Suffering' and 'Amulet of Ruin'. They're Egyptian talismans." He pointed at a sketch of a diamond-shaped stone and another beside it resembling a necklace. "Apparently they work together."

Operetta was taken aback. "You know _Greek_ , Jackson?"

"No," he raised an eyebrow. "This book isn't that old." He pointed at the text. "It says right here. This word means 'suffering' and this one means 'ruin'."

The red-haired ghoul chuckled sheepishly. "Oh." Then she recomposed herself. "So what'a they remind you of?"

"Well," he frowned in thought. "I think it reminds me of what's happened these past few years..." His eyes scanned the page. "Someone must have used these two relics to separate the monster world from the human world. The description of the spell the amulet casts sounds just like the dome of light that appeared in the sky."

Operetta scrutinized the text. "So how does the charm work with it?"

The human furrowed his brows. "The amulet's spell can't work unless the charm's spell is cast—that's how they work together. It says the charm alone grants luck to its caster."

"Great," Operetta scoffed. "So whoever split the monsters and normies is now the luckiest monster in the world."

"Actually," Jackson cut in, "they're probably asleep. This states that the use of this charm is risky because, if cast for a selfish cause, the spell backfires and curses the caster into a deep sleep..." Jackson frowned, and his blue eyes narrowed. He thumbed through the pages.

"Whatcha lookin' for now?" the Phantom's daughter asked.

"I read somewhere about something that—Here." He pointed at a sketch of what appeared to be a man, his arms raised up in the air as his hands harshly clutched what seemed to be an entwined pair of snakes. "It's an idol of the Egyptian god of magic, Heka," he explained. "This god is associated with the Ka, the part of the soul the ancient Egyptians believed embodied personality; 'the person's entity' it says." He flipped to the next page. "If a group of people is 'inflicted by magic' it'll cleanse them of it altogether as if spells were never cast on them at all."

Operetta's eyebrows furrowed together. "I'm not following you."

Jackson looked up in thought. "Say a witch casts a permanent spell on a human family and turns them into frogs." He pointed at the page. "If this idol was used on them, they'd all be back to normal."

The ghoul tilted her head. "Back in their non-frog bodies?"

Jackson nodded. "Exactly." He closed the book and grinned. "It's amazing what ancient peoples believed, isn't it?"

Operetta raised an eyebrow. "You don't believe it?"

He winced. "Well, not exactly. I mean, someone could've separated the worlds with the amulet and charm but I don't think this idol could magically fix magical spells cast on people." He tucked the book into his knapsack beside him. "The idol just makes it too... easy. There has to be more to it."

The musical ghoul let out a short laugh. "Like a curse?" She leaned across him and tugged the book back out of his knapsack. "Maybe you missed where it said it..." She held the book open in her lap.

Jackson let out an irritated sigh. "It wasn't specific," he explained. "It said something like—"

"Found it!" Operetta ran a lilac finger along the page. "Says here that 'no matter the intention, the use of this idol will burden its caster, damned to wander in darkness'..." She glanced back up at Jackson and scoffed. "That ain't ominous at all."

"I can't make out what it means though," he sighed exasperatedly. "The others are so much more straightforward," he complained. "The charm's curse is sleeping forever, the amulet's curse is memory loss—"

"Hold on," Operetta shut the book and dust swirled into the air, "did you just say memory loss? Like, amnesia-type memory loss?"

Jackson's eyebrows raised as the realization came to him. "Amnesia... You don't think that..?" He frowned thoughtfully. "The book said that the Amulet of Ruin was really strong... It's possible that casting the spell might've had her asleep for so long... The power was too much..."

Operetta nodded in agreement. "And nobody else used Egyptian relics like—"

The ground beneath the two trembled. They looked behind themselves and saw a gravestone quiver until the patch of land beneath it escalated from the ground to reveal a tall cage. The quaking ceased and the barred door opened to reveal Cleo de Nile.

Jackson eagerly got onto his feet, but Operetta spoke before he had the chance.

"Hey, y'all," the ghoul called as she rose to greet them. "How was the lab? Find what y'all were lookin' for?"

The earth rumbled as the cage sunk underground until the gravestone was level with the terrain once more. The three monsters were silent and stared at the ground with glazed eyes.

Operetta frowned in concern, surprised at their forlorn expressions. "What's gotcha down?" she laughed lightly, hoping to bring up their spirits. "It looks like y'all lost your school crest or somethin'."

Jackson took hesitant steps toward them.

"Cleo," he acknowledged. "I know you have amnesia but," he held the book out in front of her, "does any of this look familiar to you?" He pointed at the page. "Do you think this is how you lost your memories?"

Cleo's cyan eyes scanned the page and suddenly widened. She bit her lip and looked to the side.

"Um, maybe," she squeaked. Her eyebrows arched. "I mean, look here," she pointed toward the page, "it says this amulet separated the monster and human worlds." She attempted to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "I don't think I'm the kind of monster who'd want that to happen."

Operetta narrowed her eyes at the ghoul. Something was off. The musical ghoul opened her mouth to question Cleo, but reluctantly shut it when she saw two blue figures in the distance.

* * *

"Bad news, ghouls."

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard Lagoona call out to us. She and Abbey rushed across the lawn. I swiftly abandoned Jackson and jogged over to her.

A grimace pulled at her lips. "We couldn't find the lantern." She looked over to the rest of us and her frown deepened. "What's the matter?" She turned her green eyes toward me. "Something wrong?"

I looked down. "Nothing," I replied solemnly. I glanced at the group and moved ahead. "This is enough. Let's get going."

-.-.-.-

We had made it considerably far from the school when it started raining. Lagoona suggested we'd stop at Bloodgood's house since it was closer. Brisk water streamed down to the earth and my neck habitually twitched as I walked. Cleo de Nile didn't have neck bolts. My head throbbed with the thought of how real my situation was, and my chest ached with a desire to fix it.

I rushed to the house as soon as I saw it. I hurriedly twisted the slippery knob and hopped inside as the others did the same.

Jackson looked just as relieved as I felt, and instantly sat down on the nearest chair but only Lagoona seemed pleased with the rain. We were all soaked, and our hair hung heavily from our heads. Operetta seethed as she stomped in, and her face twisted into an irritated grimace. I had never seen her hair without the effects hairspray. Holt looked almost as frustrated, and hastily brushed water droplets off his dark leather jacket. Robecca cringed as her joints creaked when she sat down on an armchair. I sat on the couch beside Abbey, who sourly ran her fingers through her hair and flicked off some water.

Lagoona scooted on the couch beside me. "So what's the plan, Cleo?" she asked.

I brought my hand to my mouth and coughed. "Plan?"

The sea ghoul tilted her head from side to side. "What's the mission you got in your head?"

"Oh, right..." I scanned the group, and my eyes met each one of theirs. They looked back at me plaintively, beads of water trickled down their faces. Their exhausted breathing rang louder than the rain pattering at the windowpanes. I exhaled and closed my eyes.

"There was never a mission."

Lagoona laughed lightly in disbelief. "What?"

"It was just an excuse," I couldn't bring myself to look at her. "I need help, so I have to do this."

I heard Lagoona laugh again. "Why didn't you say that in the first place, love?"

My eyes snapped open. She looked amused and shook her head.

"We all would've helped you, Cleo," Lagoona said. "No matter what."

"I don't see why we wouldn't," Robecca added.

"Well," Holt began, "I had to come 'cause—Ow!"

Operetta snickered as Holt winced from her jab. She rolled her head in my direction. "Just tell us what to do now, darlin'."

I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I relaxed on the couch and scanned the group, all drenched and exhausted. "Maybe we should take a break," I said. "I think we all need it."

"Sounds good to me..." Holt flopped down on the floor.

The rest of us were less abrupt and dried off before we got comfortable. Eventually, I fell asleep.

-.-.-.-

I was the first wake up. I watched as the rain hit the windowpane, lazier and lazier as time passed. Until it ceased. The others woke soon after.

"Yo," Holt slurred out from the carpeted floor. "The rain stopped."

"It's about time we eat, then," Lagoona stood up and moved toward the front door. "I'll get the food from the garage."

Everyone was silent. I thought back to the sarcophagus we left at Abbey's cave. My mind reeled at the thought of Cleo trapped in there. I exhaled deeply. I could spend my unlife in Cleo's body, and that was okay, but there's no way I would turn my back on my friends. Even if I couldn't fix the biggest problems of this world, I knew that, someday, I would be truly happy in it.

A scream pierced the silence.

Abbey jumped to her feet the second Operetta frantically ran out the den and opened the front door. Holt hastily pushed past her and Jackson followed. Operetta didn't bother being irritated and rushed out behind them.

Cool metal gripped my wrist. "Come on!" Robecca eyes were filled with fear as she hurriedly helped me to my feet. She hovered out the opening as I numbly ambled after her.

Humid air engulfed my senses as I stepped onto the moist dirt. I followed the hiss of Robecca's boots until I saw everyone pacing aimlessly about the yard. Where did that scream come from?

I took a step back. Maybe I could try searching for whoever screamed somewhere else. I turned my back to the others and made my way to the stables. A soft humming noise filled my ears. I took cautious steps toward it until I realized it was the sound of an engine. The noise grew louder as I moved past the stables and saw a sleek black motorcycle; an identical one right beside it. There were other monsters here.

I almost slipped as I scurried back to the others. "There's—!"

Another scream sounded, and we immediately ran to the source.

The area wasn't wooded, so it was easy to see what lay before us. I glimpsed over the heads of the other monsters and saw Lagoona until she was yanked out of sight. A vampire in a black uniform dragged her toward him.

Lagoona gripped a can of food in each hand as she struggled against him. There was ferocity in her eyes. "Let me go!" The sea ghoul's voice trembled and she futilely threw a can.

The vampire snickered. "Oh, I don't know." He clutched Lagoona's wrists above her head and she struggled against his chest, desperately trying to free herself. "You're very pretty."

"Hey!" Operetta opened her mouth to let out a scream, but instead, she stiffened. The others attempted to move but suddenly ended up in the same predicament.

The vampire's blue eyes met mine and lips morphed into a sly grin. "Looks like you've escaped your death sentence."

This vampire recognized me. He was one of the Queen's.

I took a step toward him but I was stopped short like all the others. There was only one other vampire I knew who could control enough to immobilize monsters, but he last I heard he had lost his powers. My breath caught in my throat and I could feel my palms start to sweat. All I could do now was watch.

The vampire tightened his grip on Lagoona and she let out a strained yelp.

"You shouldn't waste time like that, Adrian."

Valentine.

His eyes blazed red. Was this all it took for him to control us? He strode up to Adrian with an impatient look on his face. There was a steely look in his eyes and faint excitement in his voice when he caught my gaze. "Well, look what we have here..." He took slow steps toward me. "You weren't supposed to have left the palace, darlin'."

Adrian's grip on Lagoona loosened. "Forget about her."

Valentine scoffed. "Like you'll forget about the sea ghoul? You're wasting your time."

The other vampire scowled. "We gotta find the rebel camp, don't we?" Adrian allowed himself a wry smile and nestled her neck. "Smells good for a fish."

Valentine turned to face him. "We'll never find out where the rebel camp is if you..." He reached out his free hand and violently snatched Lagoona from him. "Ghouls are not toys!" he yelled, and Lagoona settled in his grip.

"Fine." Adrian stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned on his heel.

Valentine scurried after him. "You're not taking her?"

"There's no point," Adrian halfheartedly kicked at the ground. "You're too..." He sighed. "We're not gonna find the rebel camp, are we?" He glanced over at us. "Stop your hypnosis on them." He eyed me knowingly for a few seconds, and I could feel an anxious chill crawl up my spine. But he ignored me and turned around. "Let's get moving."

Valentine paused, still holding onto Lagoona's wrist. "Remember who's in charge here..."

Adrian let out a laugh. "Oh, that's rich." He glanced over his shoulder. "You barely follow the rules yourself. You don't think I know? The Queen would sure be interested in hearing all the times you've ignored her. All she cares about is her reputation," he seethed. "As long as she takes credit for the good stuff, right?"

Valentine stood still and silence passed. Then, as if out of nowhere, his fangs seized Lagoona's neck. She cried out. I tried to run to her, but all I could do was watch. She struggled until she barely could; then finally, Valentine released her and she collapsed onto the ground.

"Remember," he said, as he licked his lips, "who's in charge."

Adrian let out something resembling a laugh. "Maybe we can get the Queen to order us to do something, huh?"

Valentine sounded annoyed. "Unlikely." He walked out of view a second later and I could hear the faint sound of revving motors until the noise faded away completely.

I inhaled sharply when I regained control of my movements. "Lagoona!" I rushed to her side and the others crowded around me.

Operetta pressed her hand to her neck. "Barely there, but still breathin'." She looked to the rest of us. "She'll be okay."


	24. Imposter

It was a long way back. His footsteps were heavy on the moist ground, and he ran until he saw the faint flicker of torch lights in the distance. He slowed to a stop and dropped his duffel bag, panting heavily.

"Here."

He glimpsed ahead when he heard the voice, and a soft light appeared to be moving toward him. When it came into closer view, he noticed it was a flame radiating off the index finger of a fire elemental—one he was relieved to see.

"Heath," he breathed.

Heath grinned. "Glad to see you made it back safe, Deuce." He looked to his side. "Thanks, Scarah."

Deuce followed his gaze, not having noticed the green-skinned ghoul who stood in front of him.

Scarah waved his thanks aside. "Don't mention it," she said. "I have to use my telepathy for something."

Heath tilted his head at the Gorgon. "You look tired."

"Yeah," Deuce said flatly. He kicked the duffel bag at the feet of the fire elemental. "Put out your flame and carry this, will you?"

"Whatever you say," Heath said and popped his ignited finger into his mouth with an audible hiss as the flame immediately died out. He slung the bag strap over his shoulder and moved ahead.

 _Can I ask you something?_

Deuce looked to Scarah as she walked beside him. _Shoot_ , he replied.

 _I know you just came back but..._ She looked down sheepishly. _Could you cook dinner tonight? Please?_

The Gorgon chuckled. _Because Heath's cooking is—_

 _Awful_ , Scarah cut in as she whipped her blank eyes back to him. _I know you're tired but..._

Deuce smiled softly. "Sure," he said aloud.

Gratitude showed in Scarah's blank eyes. _Thank you._

"Do I have to carry this the rest of the way?" Heath griped. "'Cause we're right by the rooms..."

Deuce grunted. "I'll take it from here," he said, taking the duffel bag from the ground where Heath dropped it. He slung it over his shoulder and looked around. "Is it my shades or is it really dark out?"

"Aye," Scarah said. "It's been like this since noon."

"It rained earlier," Heath said. He grimaced at the thought. "Not fun."

Deuce nodded and walked away from the two monsters until another, more pressing thought occurred to him. "And Cleo?"

Heath winced. "Yeah, about that, she's kind of... _away_ for now. But she'll be back soon."

The Gorgon clenched his jaw as he turned around and took steps onto the porch. After navigating the dim hallway, Deuce opened the door to his room and tossed the duffel bag into the corner. He exhaled deeply before tossing his sunglasses and flopping face first onto his bed. Deuce rolled over and closed his eyes.

The two days he'd been away from the camp were exhausting, and he was more than happy to be back. He had hoped to see his ghoulfriend once he returned but, much to his dismay, Cleo wasn't there to greet him. Worry for the ghoul pricked at him like a winter chill, even though he knew there was nothing for him to be anxious about. Deuce had made sure she'd be protected and served in whatever way possible. But it didn't help. She didn't act like the Cleo he knew. Deuce groaned inwardly and rolled over to plant his face into his pillow. The Gorgon had already been plagued with enough of these thoughts during his two-day search job, and coming home only to be pulled back to them was not to his liking.

A knock sounded at his door.

"Come in," Deuce said into his pillow. He heard the door creak as it opened.

"Deuce?" a feminine voice called out.

The Gorgon grinned and sat up, eyes closed. "Viperine."

He heard the ghoul let out a quick giggle. "Let me get your glasses."

Deuce felt the plastic of his sunglasses being nudged onto his face. He opened his eyes and saw his cousin smiling at him through black lenses. He was surprised to see her wearing a t-shirt and shorts, so casual compared to the dresses she usually wore.

"I'm happy you're back," Viperine said. "How was it?"

"Besides tiring?" Deuce prompted. "Really warm. And dry."

The other Gorgon sat at the foot of his bed. "Find what they wanted you to?"

He shook his head. "Unless they're into charred empty land, no." He sighed dejectedly. "I was really hoping I'd at least find a clue, you know?"

Viperine nodded. "To find your _amigos_."

He chuckled. "Yeah, cous', my 'amigos'."

The pink snakes entwined in Viperine's straight, platinum-blonde hair hissed as she glared at him in mock offense. "I haven't been to Spain in forever, give me a break."

Deuce almost laughed until he noticed a dismal look cross the ghoul's face, and her reptilian eyes flicked away from him. His eyebrows furrowed from concern. "What's up?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. Viperine kept her gaze lowered, and reached out for her cousin's hand. "I'm so relieved you're safe."

The other Gorgon gingerly pulled his hand away from her scaly palm. He leaned back warily. "Are you okay?"

She heaved out a long sigh. "No. But talking about it doesn't... I don't feel any better."

"So what's the problem?"

She waved him aside. "It's old news, Deuce."

He looked at her pointedly, and his snakes hissed lightly.

Viperine sighed and reluctantly came out with it. "Have you realized that we're the only family we have left?"

"Huh." Deuce shrugged idly. "I guess so."

Her pink eyes widened, a melancholy expression casting a shadow on her features. "Deuce... We're lucky. Everyone lost their parents when the older monsters disappeared but for some that was the only family they had."

He nodded. "Well, yeah."

Viperine's lips parted in confusion. "How are you not—?"

"It's been years now," Deuce said. "Don't dwell on it if you're gonna get sad like this."

"But—"

"Hey," he leaned forward and placed his hand on her shoulder, "don't worry about it, okay?"

Viperine stiffened for a second and then nodded reluctantly.

Deuce grinned and rose from his bedside. "I gotta get dinner started soon," he said as he moved toward his dresser. "But first," he opened a drawer and pulled out a towel, "I'm gonna shower."

His cousin stood up and made her way out the room. " _Hasta luego_."

-.-.-.-

"Deuce!"

The Gorgon slung his towel over his shoulder when he exited the bathroom. He lifted his gaze and smiled. "Hey, Rochelle."

The gargoyle ran to him with open arms and tackled him with a hug. "You're back!" She retracted herself. "Did you find anything?"

Deuce closed the door behind him and shook his head.

"Oh..." She looked down for a moment then perked up with a glimmer in her fuchsia eyes. "They're sure to come back sometime, no?"

He turned to his right and walked up the steps of the guys' building; Rochelle followed. A sad grin tugged at his lips. "I hope so."

It was the second time the monsters had attempted to find their lost friends but they were stuck at square one. There was nothing out there that even hinted at their disappearance. The thought nagged at Deuce, and he hoped things would finally change. But nothing did. Besides, how much trouble could their friends get into when they had Clawd by their side? Deuce wasn't at ease with one of his closest friends missing, and he was confident they were somewhere safe until he went out there and explored it himself. There was nothing out there, so where could have they gone? Deuce was certain that he would have been lost if he had searched any further.

He looked up at the darkening sky and moved past Rochelle on the porch. "I should get dinner started," he said, mostly to himself.

"Oh, _merci_ , Deuce!" The gargoyle practically bounced with excitement. "It has been too long."

The Gorgon smiled softly, glad that his return had brought some joy to the monsters at home.

Then something in Rochelle's expression changed, and her eyes were unfocused. She looked over her shoulder and the winged ears atop her head perked up.

Deuce reached out hesitantly. "Rochelle..?"

She whipped her gaze back to face him, her eyes wide with alarm. "Oh, _excusez-moi_... " She looked over her shoulder again, only to turn around completely. Deuce knew she was smiling. "I can hear them. They're back."

"Cleo?" Deuce asked. "Cleo's back?"

She glanced back at him with a grin spread across her face. " _Oui_."

Deuce spun around and rushed into the building to his room, leaving a startled Rochelle on the porch. He flung his door open and tossed his towel onto the dresser. He paced around his room. Deuce's elated longing to see his ghoulfriend dispersed as apprehension took him over. Sure, he wanted to see Cleo but the ghoul who'd just arrived... She was nothing like her. Deuce understood she had amnesia, but a part of him dreaded seeing her at all. The way she moved and talked...

He heard a door slam and stilled. The Gorgon cautiously opened his door and poked his head out into the dark hallway. Another door closed to his right and he stepped out to follow the sound. He chuckled to himself when he realized the room he stood in front of. He turned the knob and walked inside, not surprised to see Holt lazily sprawled out on the floor.

"Couldn't make it to the bed?" Deuce joked.

Holt's eyes flared a soft orange when he glared at him. "Piss off."

The other laughed and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Chill, dude. I just want to know where—"

"By the pavilion," Holt cut in, "with Scarah."

"Awesome thanks." Deuce started walking out the room but stopped short. "She's with Scarah?"

The blue-skinned monster scoffed. "Don't ask."

The Gorgon stayed in place for a moment then shrugged and exited the building altogether. Strange behavior aside, Cleo was his ghoulfriend, and Deuce knew that he needed to be there for her.

I heard her voice in my head as soon as we arrived.

 _You got the books?_ Scarah asked.

 _Yes_ , I replied. _I also have the body to, you know—_

 _Good. Bring them both to the dining pavilion_ , she told me. _I'm there._

I looked over at Abbey, the only monster who hadn't run off the second they stepped into the camp. Ever since we got the sarcophagus back from her ice cave, she'd been carrying it with one arm the same way one would carry a casketball.

"Could you follow me to the pavilion?"

She agreed and we walked there silently. I saw Scarah standing at its edge. Her white eyes widened at the sight of the sarcophagus.

 _The body's in there?_ she asked incredulously.

I nodded, and the Banshee's daughter cleared her throat. "Abbey, could you bring that to my room, please?"

The purple-eyed ghoul raised an eyebrow. "Have plan in mind for mummy coffin?"

She didn't say anything, but Abbey complied and we followed Scarah to the ghouls' building.

The brunette's room was identical to the others except for her bed sheets being a soft Irish green; much more sensible than the bright orange ones I got stuck with. Once we entered, Abbey set the sarcophagus down by the door.

"Am tired," she said. "Will see you later." She gave a small wave and walked down the hall, out of sight.

Scarah closed the door and looked at me, urgency in her tone. "Show me the books."

I sat on my knees and took off my knapsack. I was glad I asked the others for the books they had found before we left Bloodgood's house. It made my load heavier but I didn't mind as long as the others were comfortable. I took off my jacket, damp and cold from the rain earlier, and placed it at my side. I marveled at the clothes I had been wearing during the journey. I looked like an outdoors monster after a long hike. I wouldn't have worn clothes like this before.

Scarah knelt down, opened my knapsack, and pulled out the three books she had requested. She opened each of them up and scanned their contents. Her eyes didn't leave the page when she said, "Open the sarcophagus."

I crawled over to it and put my hand on its side. I slipped my fingers beneath its lid and heaved it open.

Lying there, still as ice, was Nefera's body. She was dressed in the same clothes I've always seen her wear, her makeup seamlessly perfect and her arms crossed over her chest mummy-style. She looked younger than my friends now. With her eyes closed and her hair splayed out behind her, she looked almost peaceful—so different from the Nefera I knew. I grimaced at the thought of Cleo waking up in her body. I glanced over my shoulder at Scarah, who was skimming through the books. She could switch our bodies, and then I'd be the one asleep. It scared me, but Cleo... She deserved to be in her own skin.

"She can't wake up," I told Scarah.

She rose and walked over to me. Scarah took a step back and gasped. "Nefera!?" She looked at me, her mouth agape. "You—you switched bodies with your own sister!?"

"No." I shook my head solemnly and got onto my feet. "I'm not Nefera. She's stuck in my body."

She scoffed and crossed her arms. "Some sort of... tri-swap? Why should I believe you?"

I looked down. "You don't need to. As long as you switch us back," I looked at Nefera's body, "it'll be okay."

Scarah huffed. "That's too bad since I can't."

My gaze was on her instantly. "What do you mean you can't?"

She looked away sheepishly. "I thought those books could teach me to use my telepathy to switch back the minds but, turns out, all they do is teach me how to control its functions."

My knees buckled and I slumped onto the floor. Nefera's body didn't stir. I felt myself tremble and I brought my hands to my face. I could feel my eyes glaze over with tears. No... not my eyes, _her_ eyes: Cleo's. I would never cry with my own eyes again. I was trapped in a lie. This was how it was going to be from now on. It was time I accepted that. I felt a sob rise in my throat as I thought about Cleo's predicament. She'd never wake up. She'd never have her body back. She'd never...

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Hey," Scarah cooed awkwardly, "don't—don't be sad. I'll do what I can with what I have. You said she can't wake up, right?"

Her words were muffled in my ears; she might as well have said nothing at all. She took her hand off my shoulder and I raised my head to look at her.

The Irish ghoul stared intently at Nefera's body, breathed deeply, and closed her eyes. Her eyes shut tighter like she was suffering from a headache.

I heard the rapid thump of footsteps from the hallway, and the door opened. Deuce stood at the entrance. He saw me and beamed, only to frown a second later. He came to my side, his voice filled with concern.

"You okay?" He reached to wipe a tear from my cheek, but I turned away. Deuce acting like this was just another reminder of my lie. I felt like I had done too much damage to change that.

Scarah suddenly groaned in pain, and I heard a loud breathy gasp. I looked back at Deuce, whose attention was fixed on something past me. I followed his gaze to see a tan hand tightly clutch the ridge of the sarcophagus. I stared in astonishment as Nefera's body sat up, her teal hair swaying and her eyelids tired.

She opened her mouth and spoke, "How long have I been—?" She saw me and froze.

Then she screamed.

I leaped to my feet and held out my arms. "Cleo—"

She scrambled to the edge of the sarcophagus, her eyes wide. "You're _me!_ "

"No! I'm not, I'm—"

Another shrill scream erupted from her mouth and her eyes flicked rapidly across the room. Her breathing quickened. "Scarah? _Deuce?!_ How—you look—This ghoul's an _imposter!_ You know I wouldn't be caught alive wearing _that!_ "

Scarah fell to the floor, holding her head in pain. Deuce rose, a stunned yet confused expression on his face. He took a tentative step towards me. "Cleo? What's your sister talking about?"

The real Cleo scoffed. "Sister?" She looked down at her hands, her clothes, her body... And let out another scream.

I leaned forward to console her. "Cleo—"

"NEFERA!" She lunged at me and we fell to the floor. "GIVE ME BACK MY BODY!"

I shut my eyes, preparing myself for whatever anger she was going to take out on me. Then the weight of her body left mine, and I opened my eyes to see Deuce yanking her off of me. He held a hand out to me and helped me up. Then he moved in front of me defensively, but I pushed past him.

"Cleo," I said steadily, "I'm not Nefera. I'm trapped in your body just like you're in hers. Nefera is trapped in my body."

She was seething with anger, and I expected her to tackle me again. "And I'm just supposed to trust you!?"

"Yes! It's me, Frankie!" The words were out of my mouth before I had the chance to react.

The room quieted, and she relaxed. She looked me over, and I noticed a faint smile on her lips. She believed me.

A relieved sigh escaped my mouth.

" _What?_ "

I whipped my head toward the sound of the voice and saw Heath standing in the doorway. Behind me, Deuce appeared shaken up and Scarah had risen to her feet, just as shocked as the other two.

 _Is that true?_ she asked me. _Have you been Frankie this whole time?_

I looked down. "Y-yes," I said admitted aloud. "I'm Frankie Stein."


	25. Solace

**A/N** : Sorry for such a later update than usual! College finals came rolling around... But now it's break and these next chapters should come out faster for the time being! Enjoy!

* * *

"Now that we got that out of the way, can someone _please_ explain to me what's going on?" Cleo exhaled dramatically and put her hands on her hips. Even in Nefera's body, it was so clearly her.

I giggled sheepishly, failing at making the situation any less uncomfortable. "It's a long story."

"One we don't have time for right now," Heath cut in. "All of you need to come to the pavilion."

Cleo sent a swift glare his way and poked at his chest. " _Excuse me_ but who are _you_ to give _royalty_ orders?"

Heath raised an eyebrow and took a step back. "Honestly, I don't know who anyone is right now. But you gotta come with me." He looked to the rest of us. "Now."

Nefera's eyes narrowed and Cleo walked past him, only to jump back in. "It's dark! You don't expect me to go out there! I can't see a thing!"

Heath sighed and flames immediately wreathed his fingers. He stepped into the hallway. "Let's just go, okay?"

Both Scarah and Deuce immediately complied as the fire elemental went ahead and Cleo begrudgingly followed after them. I followed, and then Cleo slowed to keep pace with me.

"Frankie," she whispered, "what's happening?"

Deuce flinched at the sound of her voice. I whispered back to her, "I'll explain as soon as we're alone."

We stopped abruptly when a door swung open and a ghoul stepped out into the hallway. She rubbed her eyes sluggishly, and Abbey's face became apparent in the glow of Heath's flame. Her languid expression was alert in an instant. Abbey's tone was as cold as her touch, "Am trying to get shut of eye. Let me sleep."

"Sorry," Heath replied steely. "Everyone needs to go to the pavilion. Including you."

She ignored him and moved past us until she was out the building. We hastily followed behind her, the opened door greeting us with a sunset fading into the night. The faint twinkle of stars shone in the sky as the sun began to sink out of sight.

" _That's_ Abbey?" Cleo whispered as she pointed to the ice ghoul ahead. "She looks—"

"Older?" I finished.

She nodded fiercely, Nefera's pulled-back hair bobbing. "Yeah. So does Scarah. And," she gestured in front of her, "that _is_ Deuce, right?"

I nodded and then pointed ahead of me. "And that's Heath."

Cleo's surprise twisted Nefera's features into disbelief. " _Heath?_ " She scoffed. "A late bloomer, I suppose."

I let out a giggle as we approached the pavilion. The sky settled into twilight and the surrounding torchlight barely illuminated the dining pavilion when we walked in. Just about everyone was there, queerly perched on the edges of the picnic tables and facing the middle in a loose circle.

Heath pushed past a couple monsters to the center. "This should be everyone," he muttered to himself.

Cleo raised an eyebrow dubiously, then rolled her eyes and situated herself on the nearest table with a loud sigh. I could feel the corners of my lips upturn at the sight—it was just so Cleo.

Deuce sat by Viperine at a table well ways off, but he would glimpse over his shoulder at the ghoul in Nefera's body. My face fell at the cautious uncertainty in his expression. Even through his sunglasses, I noticed pain in his eyes.

I felt hot with guilt and slumped down beside Cleo, my head in my hands.

How was I going to fix this mess?

"Everyone," Heath called, holding up his hands. "I have some... news."

The area went silent except for the occasional clinking of silverware.

He continued, "I'm sure some of you know that the Queen's monsters know about us. _But_ ," he added quickly before anyone could protest, "I'm sure they don't know where we are." His fiery eyes scanned the area and rested on a particular sea ghoul. "Lagoona told me of her trip to the house we have near the city. Unfortunately, there was an incident involving two of the Queen's monsters. Lagoona learned that the leader of the law enforcement unit is the main controller of the city—not the Queen."

A few gasps sounded amidst the silence, but Heath had already moved on. "Because they confronted a group of us, they could keep digging. And to make sure they never do..." A slow grimace formed on his face. "We should go to the palace."

The pavilion went dead silent. Mostly everyone had looked away from Heath, staring listlessly at plates of food or casting uneasy glances at one another. What was the problem? I thought they were against the Queen. Wasn't this their chance?

"Um..." Iris, who was sitting at the table beside mine, raised her hand tentatively. "When?"

Heath shared a glance with Lagoona. "Morning."

Iris' eye widened. " _Tomorrow?_ " she choked out.

"Only a small group," he assured, "to get rid of anything the Queen's monsters have that might lead them to us."

Almost everyone heaved a loud sigh and the dining pavilion was quickly filled the chatter of relieved monsters. I felt a tap on my shoulder; Cleo had a lost expression plastered onto Nefera's face. _What's going on?_ she mouthed.

I raised my hands. "I'll tell you when–"

"There's something else you should know," Heath's voice rang above the chatter of the monsters. Then his gaze moved over to mine, and he beckoned me over.

I swallowed. Did he mean..?

He gave me an encouraging smile.

I reluctantly stood. All eyes were suddenly on me. I exhaled deeply and started from the beginning.

"I woke up to this world a little over a week ago. I was lost and confused—I didn't know who I was or even where I was. When Abbey found me, I snuck out during the night and got captured." I cringed at the looks everyone was giving me, their eyes boring into my skull like daggers.

I cautiously continued, "I talked to the Queen and, when I saw her, I felt... I felt a stronger connection to her than anyone else I've met. She explained many things to me when I realized my true identity which," I looked down, "isn't Cleo de Nile. I... I switched bodies with both her and her sister, Nefera." I looked over at Cleo, and she stood up beside me.

"This is the real Cleo," I said, "trapped in her sister's body, who's trapped in mine." I kept my gaze downward, but I could sense all the stares and tension directed toward me, and my throat grew dry. I swallowed. "I-I'm sorry," I choked out. "I shouldn't have kept this from you." I felt Cleo's hand brush against mine, and she squeezed it supportively. "All these years and you thought Frankie had ruined everything when, really," I felt a lump in my throat and I barely managed to finish speaking without breaking, "she wasn't there to see it happen. She was here all along."

Before I could see their faces, hear their gasps, or even take their ridicule, I was gone. I let go of Cleo's hand and ran as fast as I could. It wasn't like me to run away from my problems, but this time I felt like I couldn't take it. A cacophony of emotions clashed within me. What I had told them changed their entire perspective on what they believed was true for five years.

A part of me felt I should rejoice and be glad that their friend hadn't wrought all this destruction, but I've kept this a secret. I lied to them. My friends. I pretended to be someone I wasn't. This was all new, and the guilt I felt as I slammed my bedroom door was unbearable. I collapsed onto my bed as sobs filled my throat and racked my lungs.

Why was I even taking it this hard? They'd be shocked but they wouldn't be angry with me. My guilt morphed into frustration and I clenched the edges of my pillow.

What was wrong with me?

"Hm, _that's_ not that Frankie I know," Cleo's tone filled the room, and I rolled over in my bed to see her at the doorway, smiling sympathetically at me. "She wouldn't run off like that. And," she squinted at me, "you're crying." She gasped. "You're getting kohl _all over my face!_ "

I broke into a laugh and wiped Egyptian eyeliner off my eyelids. "It sure lasts a while," I commented as I sat up.

Her smile softened and she moved to sit next to me on the bed. "Frankie," she said, "I've had my breakdowns—centuries worth of them. But in the time I've known you, I never imagined you'd act this way. Believe me, it seemed impossible. You were always trying to cheer everyone up." She had a wistful look on her face, and she was quiet before she glanced back at me, her eyes alight and her voice sincere, "Perhaps it's time the roles were reversed."

I smiled softly. "Maybe you're right." I began to slide off my bed until Cleo stopped me.

"First," she said, her expression resolute, "please tell me what's going on!"

-.-.-.-

I told Cleo everything I knew about how the world changed. She took the five years and the normie-world-separation surprisingly well—in fact, she took the whole thing well. Except that she wasn't in her own body and that her sister had basically ruined everything. I didn't tell her anything about the dreams I've had. That was a secret I felt I could keep without worry.

Although when I recapped the time I've been in this new world, she wasn't too pleased about my time with Deuce. The glare she gave me would've put Medusa to shame. Speaking of, Cleo looked a bit downcast at the fact that the older monsters had vanished, and that we were all that was left. But she got over it in almost an instant and resumed fuming over her sister.

Now we had just finished eating dinner, and all the ghouls I had been friends with in high school had swarmed our table. I fully enjoyed their company now that I could freely express who I was. They all hoped we would get back into our rightful bodies soon, and, when Cleo and I were putting away our plates, we made an agreement with one another.

We scoured the grounds for Heath until we finally found him in the garden talking to Venus.

"Heath!" I called out. He turned to us, eyebrows raised. "What you said earlier?" I said, linking my arms with Cleo and grinning broadly. "We want in."

* * *

She narrowed her eyes at the scene unfolding before her. Most monsters wouldn't be able to hear at the distance she was, but she could, and she listened intently, her eyebrows arching upward as the information was made clear.

Cleo was Frankie.

She didn't expect her to run off, though.

Not like she was going to run after her, anyway.

She pushed the newfound knowledge aside. She'd worry about it later, although she wasn't much of a worrier. Swaying her tail, she abandoned the pavilion and made her way to the bathrooms. Opening the door, the ghoul was met with the sound of loud coughing. She groaned inwardly at the sight of another ghoul, whose afro was pulled back while she bent over the sink.

"Honey? You're still sick?" she asked.

The ghoul raised a teal finger, her head still down. "No, no," she said, an attempt at optimism in her tone, "I'm just under the weather is all."

The other scoffed. "Well get over the weather, already. If you're sick, the whole camp is next."

Honey sighed and turned to the ghoul. "I won't cause no harm to nobody, Toralei."

Toralei crossed her arms and opened her mouth until another southern voice occupied the silence.

"Now you leave Honey alone, Toralei," Operetta said as she entered the restroom. She sent the werecat a quick glare then focused on the swamp monster. "Come on, Honey, let's get ya somethin' to eat."

"Yeah, Operetta doesn't want to leave her ghost boy alone," Toralei chided.

Operetta ignored her as Honey followed the musical out the restroom, leaving the werecat presumably alone. Then a stall door opened and Scarah's pale green figure approached the sink beside Honey's former cough disposal. Toralei's eyes narrowed at the sight of the black-haired ghoul. Telepaths always made her wary. Also, Scarah's dress was _so_ not right for the weather.

Scarah glanced over her shoulder to glare at the werecat, who smiled shamelessly back. Toralei knew she shouldn't have been judging the other ghoul's outfit, especially when she had ripped off the sleeves of her own red sweater just this morning. Toralei headed toward the stall and let her thoughts drift.

A bad idea with a telepath in the room.

"She _what?!_ " Scarah's exclamation boomed in the quiet. She swiveled around to face Toralei, her blank eyes wide. "She told everyone!?"

Toralei rolled her eyes. "Yeah." She pushed past the ghoul and walked out. She didn't need to go that bad, anyway.

She let out a yawn. With the night sky settling in, the desire to nap was itching at her like fleas. Not that she's ever had any. Sleeping in the ghouls' rooms wasn't an option, especially now that Frankie was having an uncharacteristic drama-fest.

Before she knew it, Toralei was already at the threshold of the rickety building known as the workshop. Habit. It was where she usually napped since it was the most secluded building in the camp. Hardly anyone went in there, so Toralei was surprised to hear voices as she pushed the door open.

Jackson was there, no surprise, immersed in conversation with his former alter ego.

"No, but, if that's true then—"

"I was just there," Holt countered. "That's what she said."

Toralei laughed, surmising the situation quickly. "Seriously?" She scoffed. "You two are whining 'cause your ghoulfriend's back?"

"We're not whining!" Holt retorted; his blazing eyes dimmed once he realized it was a newcomer who'd interrupted their conversation. "What do you want?"

Toralei put her hands on her hips. "A nap, Jackie Junior." She pointed a thumb at the exit. "Out," she demanded flippantly, to which he resentfully complied. Toralei triumphantly turned towards her usual napping corner.

Her face fell instantly. The werecat whipped her gaze at Jackson, a request for an explanation clear in her eyes, but he grimaced apologetically and shrugged.

"So this is where you've been," she muttered under her breath.

The werecat twins frowned and stood from their huddled position. "We knew you'd come here sometime," Meowlody said.

"So we waited," Purrsephone said. "And now you're here!" She raised her arms in the air victoriously.

"Whatever," Toralei drawled. "I'm here for a nap."

"We'll nap with you!" The twins said, and then cast one another swift glares at their unison.

They pulled Toralei down to the floor before she could protest. The werecat sighed, reluctant to give in. On the other hand, it'd been a while since she spent time with her closest friends. She stifled a chuckle at their physical appearance. Now her hair hung long and theirs was chopped short.

Settling herself on the rug beneath her, Toralei stretched out her arms, a yawn escaping her maw before sleep overtook her.

-.-.-.-

Toralei's first instinct was to open her eyes, maybe wake the twins but, at first instance of consciousness, she kept her eyes shut, attempting to sink back into the solace that was sleep.

It didn't work.

Her tail twitched in frustration, and she would've opened her eyes if not for the sound of soft whispers filling her ears. She grinned, recognizing Cleo's voice but Frankie's tone.

"...and I'm sorry," Frankie said. "I didn't mean for it to get like this."

Toralei couldn't hear more, so she assumed Jackson wasn't talking. She would've snickered but she didn't want to be caught eavesdropping.

She heard the ghoul sigh. "And I lied to you about the amulets. I know about them." Toralei could sense the hesitation in her voice. "They're how I got amnesia in the first place."

Jackson perked up. "Oh! Okay, well, that's fine, let me just find that book and maybe you can tell me about..." Toralei tuned him out as he nervously rambled on. His discomfort was strong enough to make her gag.

The werecat rolled over, luckily avoiding crashing into either of the twins, but unfortunately slumping onto a hard block. Toralei grimaced but got comfortable. Then the block brushed against her fur as if it was slithering out beneath her.

Her eyes snapped open and she swiftly twirled around and clutched the block or, in actuality, a thick hardcover book. She met Jackson's startled blue eyes with her green ones. "What's this?" she teased, her tail swaying.

He sighed, his hands still on the hardcover. "Toralei," he tugged at the book, "come on."

The werecat frowned but almost laughed when she noticed Frankie's wide-eyed expression on Cleo's face. How in the world did she fool them? She grudgingly released the book, her hands opening like an arcade claw. "What's it about anyway?"

"Ancient relics," Jackson explained briskly as he quickly brought his attention back to the other ghoul, who was sitting on the chair at his desk.

How _sweet_ of him. She scowled and propped herself off the floor with her elbows, ignoring to fix her now messy ponytail. "So what's the big deal with the amulets?"

"You heard that?" Frankie asked quietly.

"Well, yeah," she stated flatly. "I woke up a while ago—"

"Toralei?"

The werecat looked over her shoulder, the twins' languid yellow eyes staring back at her as they uncurled themselves.

Purrsephone rubbed her eyes. "When did you wake up?"

"And why didn't you wake _us_ up?" Meowlody snapped.

Toralei held back a groan. "I just woke up, quit mewling." She turned her gaze back to the ghoul in the wrong body. "So Frankie—"

"Frankie?" Meowlody interjected. She shook her head. "Toralei you must've slept too long—"

"Oh no," Frankie exclaimed. "There are some people that still don't know." She looked down. "I have to tell them."

Jackson ran a hand through his hair. "Um, I c-can tell them. Don't worry about it."

Frankie looked at him and smiled genuinely, Cleo's face resembling the stitched-ghoul more than she had before. "Thank you."

His gaze swept down to the floor in an instant, stammering over his words as he tried to get out a simple _you're welcome_. Toralei couldn't help but snicker.

"That reminds me," Frankie said, suddenly chipper, "Heath has something planned and Cleo and I are joining. Would you like to come, too, Jackson?"

The other appeared to regain his confidence and looked back at the ghoul, but hesitated. "I... I don't think so. I mean, I don't think I want to go to the palace. Not because I don't want to go with you it's just— "

Frankie laughed lightly. "It's okay, Jackson. I understand."

He sighed dejectedly. "Maybe you should ask Holt."

The ghoul pursed her lips thoughtfully, then shook her head. "I was thinking Deuce. I know he just came back, too, but I left them to talk before I came here, and I know Cleo would like it if he came."

"I'll go."

The two whipped their heads to face Toralei who was lazily beginning to stand up.

Frankie eyed her warily. "Are you sure?"

The werecat shrugged. "Sounds like fun." Then she looked back at the twins. "You _stay_ , okay?"

"I should go, too." They all looked to the corner of the room. Twyla's periwinkle skin was barely illuminated by the one wall-light. "I used to live in the palace. I can help you once you're inside."

Toralei raised an eyebrow and pointed at the younger ghoul. "I ate dinner with you and Howleen," she said. "How long have you been hiding in the shadows?"

The corner of Twyla's lip upturned slyly. "A while."

"That's great!" Frankie burst out. "So it'll be me, Cleo, Toralei, Twyla, and Deuce. And Heath said Venus will lead us there since he can't leave the camp." Then she added, less excitedly, "Just let him know, okay? He said we're leaving before sunrise."

Toralei rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, slightly amused at the naïve ghoul's enthusiasm. She glanced at the twins, who had risen to stand at her side. "Let's go, ghouls."

Without checking to see if they had followed, she walked out the door and left Frankie to explain to Jackson something about charms and amulets—all with Cleo's voice.

The air was cool against her fur and the night sky was littered with stars. Toralei stopped and craned her neck upward, taking in the sight. She sighed, thankful she had taken a nap.


	26. The Visitors: Part 1

Everyone within the palace walls lived a distant and separated life. Whether it was the Queen or her supposed friends, the palace residents made sure to keep themselves occupied. Four hybrids mingled about the garden, a werewolf attempted to reconnect with her old friend, and iniquitous vampires planned their next move on the rebels.

There was also the ghost who, instead of searching the Queen's mysterious relic room, was dressed in her purple silk nightgown and hovered in her room, her laptop floating just in front of her. She stared at the screen with a small smile on her face. Another ghost chatted idly with her, running a hand through his verdant curls. The ghoul was hardly listening, and he knew she wasn't because of the time she had asked to speak to him. It was a few hours past midnight and for her it meant messy hair and pajamas, and he came through.

"Spectra..." Porter drawled, a teasing grin spread across his ghostly green visage.

"I already said no," Spectra said quickly, averting her gaze.

"Come on!" She heard him laugh as he tried to sway her. "Just for the weekend."

Spectra stared down at the keyboard. "There's nothing newsworthy in the ghost world, Porter."

"This isn't about your blog," he said. "This is about spending time with me." His voice was so quiet Spectra assumed he had turned down the volume or walked off. But when she glanced at the screen, he was still there, his serious expression catching her off guard.

She sighed. "Porter..."

"It's not just me, you know." He tossed a spray can of ghost paint in the air. "Kiyomi misses you, too."

Spectra racked her brain for an excuse. If there wasn't anything interesting going on, then what was the point of visiting the ghost world? But a nagging sense of guilt pricked at her, and she was at a loss for words.

Porter nimbly caught the paint can he'd tossed. Spectra watched his figure shrink into the background as he floated backward then swiveled around to face the wall. The spritzing sound of Porter spraying ghost paint was numb in Spectra's ears.

She took out her iCoffin and browsed through her photo album. Her translucent thumb stilled when she landed on a photo of a small golden idol of a man grasping two intertwined snakes. A small grin spread onto Spectra's face as she recalled following the Queen into her secret room. She cringed remembering the metallic door she couldn't phase through. The one the Queen locked. Spectra was still curious as to what was behind the door, but at least she knew what the word in the idol description, _Ka_ , meant: life-force, a separable double; the vital spark of the soul.

Locking her iCoffin, Spectra turned her attention back to the green ghost on the screen, still spritzing ghost paint at his bedroom wall. She hesitated, debilitating over her words. "Porter... I'd like to visit, really, but this is my home and everything's here—"

He scoffed, back still turned. "Everything, yeah."

Spectra glared. "The Gory Gazette is a monster world blog, not a ghost world blog. How do you expect me to pick up on _monster_ news if I'm not in the _monster_ world?"

"Internet?" he replied flatly.

"You know I wouldn't let anyone else find out before me!" she yelled, startling both herself and the one across the screen, who stiffened.

Porter looked over his shoulder, more concerned than anything. His voice was low, "Spectra..."

"It's just..."

"I know, alright?" He swiftly hovered to the screen. "You don't have to come."

After a brief bit of silence, the poltergeist returned to the wall and let his ghost paint drift across the bare surface.

Spectra willed herself to speak. "I do want to see you, Porter. Really see you. But you never know what might happen."

She could practically hear his sympathetic grin. "Five years and you're still shaken up. Time flies when you're dead, doesn't it?"

Spectra faced away from the screen. She didn't want to talk about Monster High. Ever since it crashed in on itself she felt as if she took it for granted.

 _It's a great school. It has enough drama to keep a gossip blog running for centuries._

Now her gossip hub was gone and now she had a city—a _whole city_ to write news for.

But it wasn't the same. As much as she'd like to claim it was her home, it wasn't.

Her home was gone.

The spritz of ghost paint snapped Spectra out of her thoughts, and a sudden grin plastered her face. "You can come!"

The spritzing stopped. "Huh?"

"To the palace, Porter!" she exclaimed giddily. "Come over!"

His brows furrowed. "I don't know... I'd have to talk to River..."

"Please," Spectra pled, her eager expression morphing into a playful one. "You did say you wanted to spend time with me."

Spectra hoped it wasn't a glitch because she could've sworn Porter's face had flushed a deep red. He hurriedly faced the wall. "What I said was for you to spend time with me but..." He cleared his throat. "Sure." He glanced over his shoulder and winked at the camera, then floated out of view.

Spectra gasped. "Oh! Porter..."

"Might wanna to take a screenshot before it fades away," he suggested off-screen.

Taking up a large amount of the formally bare wall was an intricate portrait of Spectra herself: thick, violet hair framing her face, full lips opened slightly and contrasting beautifully with ivory skin. Glimmering eyes stared back at her.

She never imagined herself like this. Even in the mirror, she didn't believe she looked so perfect.

Porter hovered back into view. "Did you screenshot it?" His tone was meek and gentle, even a little embarrassed. There it was: a faint tint of red on his cheeks.

Spectra bit her lip and did as he suggested, pressing the keys to save the rare moment to her computer. Of course, she loved the painting, but this was one of the few times she'd ever seen Porter blush. And who was she not to document it?

* * *

"...and out the window he went." Avea smiled broadly as she concluded the events of earlier that day. While she stood, the other hybrids reclined on the grass beside her. Bonita stifled a laugh and Sirena played with a piece of moss dangling off a tree branch. Neighthan sat up, his hoary skin barely illuminated by the moonlight.

"I didn't know the floor was wet," he grumbled.

Avea rolled her eyes. "Sure you didn't."

"It's not like it's the first time!" Bonita giggled, her massive pink wings sprawled on the ground beneath her. "Right, Sirena?"

The mermaid-ghost gave the others an absentminded nod, then looped around the mossy branch as if she was swimming through a hoop. "He does that a lot," she remarked and, unlike in her high school years, listened attentively.

Neighthan's blue eyes glinted with amusement. "If you're going to make fun of me every time I slip up—"

"You mean literally?" Avea cut in. "Because we all know that isn't going to stop anytime soon. I mean," she shrugged, "at least you didn't get your foot stuck in the bucket this time." She turned to the others. "This time the maid still had some water left to mop the rest of the palace with."

Bonita's laughter bubbled-over and she sat up clutching her stomach. Sirena, seeing the opportunity, swiftly glided down and started braiding the moth ghoul's long, loose, platinum-blonde hair.

Sirena was playing with the black and pink streaks of Bonita's hair when Avea noticed Neighthan left. She glanced from side to side until his tall frame came into view, a pointed silhouette enveloped in the glaring palace lights. Beckoning the ghouls over, the half-centaur glided out the garden until she, Sirena, and Bonita were directly behind the long-haired half-zombie.

Avea's four hooves landed softly on the concrete. "Leaving without saying goodbye?"

Neighthan stilled and then turned around. He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. It's getting late and I just figured I'd turn in for the night." His mouth stretched open and he let out a yawn, then he hastily walked toward the palace entrance. "Night, guys."

The ghouls shared a look, and Avea called after him, "Worst fake yawn ever!"

"My mom could yawn better than that," Bonita teased. "And she didn't have lungs."

Neighthan sighed and begrudgingly faced them. Sirena hovered forward, her black tailfin swaying as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you trying to avoid us?"

He shook his head fiercely, and the ghouls laughed.

Avea sighed. "You can't lie to us, Neighthan. We've known each other too long."

"I really just want to go to sleep, alright?" He avoided their pressing stares. "It's been a long day and I have a lot on my mind."

Avea crossed her arms and glared up at him.

Bonita tilted her head to the side like she was expecting him to further explain.

Sirena's eyes widened and she grinned as if he was about to tell a story.

Neighthan sighed. "Do you remember a couple days ago, when I saw you guys sneaking around with Spectra?" He swept his gaze toward Sirena.

"Oh!" The mermaid-ghost giggled and waved her hand dismissively then flipped back strands of her indigo-colored hair. "Yeah, I remember."

"So do I," Bonita said, rubbing her pink skeletal hand across her hoodie's sleeve. "I haven't been that nervous in while."

Avea's eyebrows arched curiously, and she prodded the ground with her front hoof.

Neighthan's eyes flicked toward her as he said, "Long story."

The harpy-centaur let out a frustrated huff but reluctantly kept quiet.

"Remember when you showed Spectra the shed?" Neighthan pointed at the small, foliage-covered building in the near distance and Sirena nodded. The gray-skinned monster stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I've known about Frankie going in there but when you brought it up like it was some big secret I was... confused. And now..."

Bonita smiled sympathetically as his words faltered. "You're on edge?"

Neighthan nodded. "I've never been suspicious of Frankie until Sirena brought that up. She never struck me as someone who would keep secrets from others."

Avea squinted to look at the building. "Why does she go in there anyway?"

"Frankie never said why," Neighthan admitted with an exasperated sigh.

Sirena's black tail fin swished at a sudden thought. "Maybe Spectra knows!"

"I don't know..." Bonita intoned. "She's been really quiet these past two days. Holed up in her room—"

"Probably updating her blog," Avea cut in, waving off the skeletal moth's explanation.

Sirena grinned mischievously. "Or she's catching up with Porter."

Avea rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You have all the right to be suspicious, Neighthan."

His eyes widened in bemusement. "I'm not trying to, Avea. I'm trying to shake this suspicion and feel like I did before. I don't want something stupid to ruin my image of her."

Avea scoffed. "Your precious queen?"

Neighthan's blue gaze hardened. "No, not the Queen. Frankie."

Avea retorted, "You act like she's perfect. We all have our flaws, even her."

A muscle jumped in Neighthan's clenched jaw. "I know. She's just been so distant lately it's hard to get a read on her." He let out a half-hearted laugh. "She talks more to her big smelly plant than to me."

Avea opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself. After years of trying, Avea knew it was no use arguing with Neighthan about the Queen, even if she was against her.

The harpy-centaur tentatively reached toward Neighthan. Her gloved hand enclosed his arm as she cautiously pulled his hand out his pocket. Neighthan's eyes widened at first but relaxed as soon as Avea gripped his hand in hers. The other hybrids quickly joined in, all four of their hands overlapping. Each pair of eyes flicked toward one another in mutual understanding, and wide grins spread on their faces.

"It'll get better, Neighthan," Bonita assured, putting an end to their unspoken conversation. "Unless, um, it doesn't."

Neighthan gave the ghouls' hands a friendly squeeze. "Thanks." He smiled. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight!" the ghouls chorused.

As Neighthan moved away, the ghouls headed to the opposite direction, the facade of the palace looming before them as entered one after the other—except Sirena, who glided up the metallic staircase and phased through the door to her bedroom. When Bonita closed the door behind her, Avea was left in the hallway. The clomping of her four hooves resonated with a loud echo until she stepped onto the soft carpet floor of her spacious room. But as soon as her footsteps quieted, the sound of quick sporadic movements filled her ears. Her brows furrowed and her right ear twitched atop her head.

After what seemed like hours of standing still, Avea shrugged and closed the door behind her. The sounds were odd, like a combination of footsteps and, perhaps even, voices.

But everyone had to be in bed by now, right?


	27. The Visitors: Part 2

The palace corridors were barely lit. We pushed onward until there was an abrupt thud. Cleo had collapsed.

Deuce rushed to his ghoulfriend, unconscious in Nefera's body. His voice was panicked. "Cleo!"

Venus shushed the Gorgon. "Keep it down!"

Toralei glared at the couple, her green eyes bright. "Why would she just faint?"

"I did the same thing, remember?" I said. "It's the body. She's not used to it."

The werecat's tail twitched irritably and she fixed her ponytail. "Just carry her, Deuce. We can't let her slow us down."

"I found it." Twyla's small figure sprang out from the shadows.

Venus grinned. "Great." She turned to the rest of us. "Let's go."

Deuce had Cleo in his arms and we followed Twyla down the hall. It was a few minutes before we reached an illuminated wide, dark door.

"This is it," Twyla said. "This is where the Queen's law enforcement unit makes all its plans."

"We just need to destroy any information they have of us," Venus said. She reached a thorny hand out to the doorknob, only to realize it was locked.

Twyla perked up. "I got this." The Boogieman's daughter vanished from sight, and the door swung open the next second. She gave a wry smile. "Come on in."

They took cautious steps inside and Deuce set Cleo down. He seemed extremely concerned for her, and I was glad he treated her the same way he normally would, even if she was in the wrong body. I looked down at myself and sighed. Both of us were in the wrong body, and I'd rather it be me in Nefera's and not Cleo. She had a boyfriend who deserved to have her where she belonged.

I let out a sigh and moved toward the silver doors, only to trip over my ankles and land flat on my face a second later. The others whipped their gazes toward me.

I bit my lip and gave a small, abashed grinned. "I'm fine." Their expressions softened, and they scoured the room's file cabinets for any information regarding our group. I managed to get on my knees before I ducked forward, my head searing with pain. I knew I was clumsy, but why did a headache plan on harassing me now?

A strained gasp fell from my lips and I grasped at my head as my mind throbbed. I didn't think I made enough noise for the others to notice me until Twyla's shadowy form appeared knelt down at my side.

Her bangs swept across her widening mauve eyes. "Cleo, er, Frankie, are you okay?"

Twyla's words were like trying to hear a whisper in a crowd. My limbs felt like led, and I felt myself sway with the weight. Knife-like pangs carved mental incisions into my head while I tried to form a coherent thought. The pain was reminiscent to the headaches I had after I woke up from a dream relating to Whisp. But this pain was stronger, like when I was last at the palace and taken to the dungeon. It felt like a siren blaring within my skull as it burned.

Did I set something off? Did I trigger something inside me? The conclusion came to me faster than I anticipated, but the pain prevented me from forming the thought straight away.

"Um..." Twyla warily reached out a gray hand. "You sure you're okay?"

I staggeringly stood, the pain gradually wafting away like smoke. A mad smile spread across my face.

Twyla grimaced. "Yeah, you're not okay."

I was on my feet and out the door before Twyla could get another word out. The ache dissipated and, once the futile calls for my name faded, all I could hear was the steady thumping of my shoes on the marble floor. I felt possessed by this drive, this impulse to move forward and get to the bottom of this.

I was never too athletic, so I was surprised I was still at full sprint by the time I made it to the end of the hallway, the imposing palace foyer just in sight.

"What are you doing out here?"

My soles squeaked as I skidded to a halt at the end of the corridor. The voice came again, and I stiffened when I recognized it.

"I know you're out there," Clawdeen called. I could imagine her arms crossed and an annoyed scowl etched onto her face. My feet were glued to the floor and I held my breath as if the ocean had suddenly flooded the air.

"Are you sure she's here?" a small voice asked the werewolf. Skelita? "It doesn't make sense that she'd be out this late." I managed a small smile—that was definitely Skelita's voice.

If I could see her, Clawdeen would be rolling her eyes. "Trust me, Skelita, she's out here. She's making it really obvious!"

Clawdeen was a werewolf, and she probably caught my scent.

"Stop trying to hide," she said. "Come out."

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I'd have to reveal myself sometime. I managed a few confident steps toward the end of the hall.

"About time you showed yourself." I stopped short. I couldn't even see Clawdeen from where I stood. How could she see me?

Chains rattled softly. "Sorry," an airy voice came. "I wasn't spying!"

I peered past the corner to see a sleepy Skelita standing beside a tired Clawdeen, her arms crossed as she scowled at the pale figure floating in front of her. I pivoted back into the hall and leaned against the wall, breathing a quick sigh of relief. Spectra was the one Clawdeen was talking about, not me. I didn't know where I needed to go, but I knew I needed to get through the foyer.

Spectra's voice was timid. "I heard you two talking about going somewhere tomorrow..?"

Skelita seemed eager to respond. "Oh, yes. Catty Noir is having a concert tomorrow."

I imagined Spectra drawing back. "In the city?"

Clawdeen let out a huff. "You seem surprised. I thought you'd know already."

"Of corpse I did," Spectra said, feigning confidence. "I'm just still surprised. She hasn't been anywhere near the city since Monster High—"

"Crashed," Clawdeen finished. "I know. It's a pretty big deal. Why haven't you put it in The Gory Gazette yet?"

Spectra sounded more like she was talking to herself, "Now I have to take Porter there."

Clawdeen giggled. "Porter's coming?"

"He's just visiting," Spectra said shyly. "I don't know how long."

"Aww..."

"Stop it."

"The concert begins at noon," Skelita cut in. "You must already know that Catty doesn't do night concerts as much as she used to."

"Yeah, yeah," Spectra dismissed absentmindedly.

I could tell she had floated off when Clawdeen sighed and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Skelita."

I heard pairs of heels clicking on the marble floor, and I waited until I couldn't hear them anymore. I glanced out the corridor: no one there. Carefully, I took a couple steps into the entryway. I looked to my right to see the intimidating palace doors, and my feet moved toward them like a magnet to metal. I knew I needed to go through them. I reached my hands out to push the doors open when a pale glow abruptly blocked my way.

"Cleo?" Spectra stood directly in front of me, her eyes wide. "I thought Frankie sent you to the dungeon. How'd you escape?"

I sighed. Right when I had confessed the truth of my identity to the rebels, others still didn't know. I wasn't going to be with Spectra for long and it was too risky to tell her, of all monsters. But now I had to find a way to get past her. "I'm just looking for something. Now if you'll excuse me..." I moved toward the door, but she didn't budge.

Her blue irises seemed to glow brighter. "If you're looking for something, I'm your ghoul."

I stepped back. "I thought you worked for the Queen."

Spectra scoffed and flipped back her long violet hair. "I run a blog, Cleo. I only work for the satisfaction of my readers."

I was reluctant to go along with her at first, but with the genuine look she was giving me, I gave in. "Okay, sure."

A mischievous grin painted itself onto Spectra's face. She darted forward and grabbed my wrist. I yelped the second she pulled me toward her. Next thing I knew, I was on the other side of the doors, immediately outside the palace. I looked down at where Spectra had held my wrist. "H-how..?"

"I had to improve my ghost powers sometime," she stated plainly. Then her grin returned. "Come on! I know the perfect place to look for things!" She glided away and I had to run to keep up with her.

"Here we are!"

I slowed to a stop and looked to where Spectra was referring to. A small, rickety wooden building drowning in greenery stood on the untamed grass of the palace grounds. I was clawing at the door for a knob before I had realized I what I was doing. Was I getting closer?

Spectra hovered to my side. "Here." She grabbed my wrist again and I was whisked across the solid surface. The inside of the shed wasn't much better, full of dirt and dust. Not to mention completely empty.

I was abruptly jerked forward, and I glanced down to see that Spectra's translucent hand still encircled my wrist. She dragged me toward the wall in front of us before I could protest, and I expected to be phased behind the shed. Instead, I saw a long, concrete hallway illuminated by flickering fluorescent lights. I blinked. Was this right? I looked over my shoulder and saw the same wooden wall from inside the building. This was a hidden passageway.

Spectra had released her grip on my wrist and drifted ahead. "Follow me."

She swiveled to a hall down the right when I called out to her, and my breath was shallow from running, "Slow down!"

Spectra didn't bother looking back, and when she stopped I almost ran into her. I bent down and rested my hands on knees, panting softly. I glanced over at the ghost ghoul floating beside me, who was staring ahead with wonder. I stood up straight and saw just what she was gazing at: a white-walled room filled with ceiling-high shelves from left to right stuffed with an immensity of artifacts ranging from gold to wood, from dull to so detailed you would need a magnifying glass to glimpse each one. I was in awe as I walked between the shelves.

"This room's full of ancient relics," Spectra commented, phasing through the shelf to speak directly to me.

I peered at the words inscribed on a silver bell on the shelf. "'Ancient relics', huh?" I remembered Jackson had found a book on ancient relics when we had visited the ruins of Monster High. I doubted the book had all these listed in there.

A glint of gold caught my eye. I walked to the end of the aisle and looked up the shelves against the wall. There it was: a little gold statue. It appeared to be of a tiny man wrangling a pair of intertwined snakes. I squinted. Writing was crudely etched onto almost every relic on these shelves.

"Who would even think of writing on these?" I thought aloud. These were all so beautiful. However, I was curious as to what was scrawled onto the snake man. I grabbed my wrist and yanked. I giggled sheepishly when nothing had happened. So instead I took a deep breath, got onto my tiptoes and reached. My fingers were barely grasping at the golden figurine when I heard a pained hiss. I glanced around. "Spectra?"

"Over here," her light voice came. I abandoned my pursuit for the artifact and followed the sound of her voice, arriving at the other side of the room. Her pale frame reflected off the metallic door she hovered in front of. Spectra nervously clutched her palm. "I was trying to phase through this door, but it didn't work. Again." She looked downcast. "I guess I'll just have to use the keycard instead." She sighed and begrudgingly pulled out a black card from a pocket in her nightgown. She was about to swipe it into the metal slot until a thought occurred to me.

"Why didn't you just use the key card in the first place?" I placed my hands on my hips once the realization came. "Are you not supposed to be here?"

"Not technically, no." She waved the card in the air. "This is the Queen's, but I really want to find out what's behind that door." Then she muttered to herself, "What's so important that I can't phase through the door to see it?"

"But Spectra—!" By the time I had made it to her side, she had swiped the black card through the scanner and a small light flickered green. Then the door opened inward as if welcoming us to a party.

Spectra squealed with excitement. "Ooh, this is going to be great! I can't wait to see what the Queen's hiding in here! But first..." She darted away instantly, and I chased after her until we made it out the room and down the corridor.

A lone chrome door resembling the other one stood at its end. Spectra swiped the key card and it opened just like its predecessor. She glided inside and I tentatively followed her lucent figure into the dark.

"I saw the Queen go into the other room, so I bet whatever's in there is way more interesting than what's over here," the ghost ghoul said giddily. "Gotta save the juiciest bits for last." Then she wrinkled her nose. "But it really stinks in here."

I shook my head, the only thing visible being Spectra herself. "If you're not supposed to be sneaking around then you—" I was cut off when my foot hit a solid lump, and I almost tripped. I tried dodging it but my shoes collided with more of the same dense object as before. I was growing frustrated. "What is this?"

"Here." Spectra took out her iCoffin and shined a light on where I stood. Her excited expression warped into horror. I looked down and immediately retracted back.

"Oh my ghoul..."

Bodies. Dry, pale, dead bodies were strewn at my feet. Spectra waved the light across the room, spotlighting more corpses about the floor and highlighting an entire pile of bodies stacked as nonchalantly as autumn leaves. I was made of dead body parts, so the sight horrified me much more than it disgusted me. Cleo de Nile's body felt like retching, though, and I noticed Spectra's face turn a shade of green.

Her voice wavered and her iCoffin shook in her hand. "This is where they keep them when they're done. The vampires... They sucked them all dry."

My voice was barely above a whisper. "The vampires?" I reluctantly took a couple steps forward and, sure enough, there were small two-holed punctures rooted onto each corpse's neck. "The vampires working for the Queen... killed... all of these monsters?" When I looked closer I noticed most of them had wings or scales or something about them that made them stand out. Each of them was different—like some sick collection. Now I felt like throwing up. "But what about Valentine?" I managed to say as my stomach did backflips. "Doesn't he..." My throat clogged with dread.

Spectra's widened eyes were glued to the scene before her. She stiffly shook her head. "No. Not anymore... This is his doing too.."

I gulped and my breathing quickened.

This is what normies were so afraid of.

"O-okay..." Spectra said shakily. "Maybe this won't go on my blog..."

We rushed out of there, the door slamming behind us.

It was difficult, but I tried to put the gruesome scene behind me. "Spectra," I said. "There's something I want to get from the other room. Can you help me reach it?"

The ghost looked a bit shaky, but she nodded and glided ahead. When we made it to the relic room I led her to the shelf and pointed at the golden statue.

Spectra grinned when she saw it. "This idol is my favorite." She hovered up and grabbed it. " _Ka_ means life-force."

I looked up at her questioningly as she handed me the golden figurine. " _'Ka'_?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "You know, like a separable double." She waved her fingers in the air. "The soul's vital spark." She smiled teasingly and floated away.

I sighed and looked down at the idol, noticing the detail on the man's face and the entwined snakes held past his head like trophies. Then I peered at the writing etched onto it: _Heka, the god of magic. Activates the Ka..._ Oh, that's what Spectra was talking about. I reread the inscription: _Activates the Ka within a body, returning it to its rightful form._

I pursed my lips thoughtfully. So if _Ka_ meant life-force, separable double, or vital spark then it would mean that this idol powers the body's _Ka_ to bring it back where it originally belongs.

I almost dropped the idol when the realization hit.

"Cleo..." I thought aloud, my voice rising. "I can give her body back."

I almost ran out the room until I saw Spectra disappear into the first metallic door. I put the idol by the entrance and marched in after her.

Unlike the other room, the floor was empty and there was dim lighting. Spectra hovered a few feet away from the entryway in front of a small window. She stared at it curiously, and she didn't take her eyes off it when whispered to me, "Strange, isn't it? It's like she doesn't even know we're here."

"She?" I followed her gaze, and my breath caught in my throat. Past the glass was a ghoul humming peacefully in the kitchen of what appeared to be a mock apartment room. Her pink and blue hair was sloppily tied back as she stirred batter in a bowl, her pale pink arms already covered in splatters of it. She was barefoot and wore a black apron over a simple purple dress. Witnessing the scene before me, I would've never suspected she was a genie.

Spectra glanced over her shoulder. "You remember Whisp, right?"

I nodded, grinning slightly to myself. She had no idea. I reached out and tapped on the window. Whisp looked up for a moment but quickly resumed mixing. I placed my palms on the glass. "It's one-way. All she sees is her reflection."

Spectra grinned. "Not for long." She grabbed my wrist and we were on the other side in a split-second. Unfortunately, the first thing that greeted me was another searing pain through my mind, and I hastened to ignore it.

Whisp had her back to us as she hummed the tune to a Casta Fierce song. When she caught sight of us her blue eyes widened. "Oh." She frowned in confusion. "I wasn't expecting visitors."

"Visitors?" I reiterated.

Whisp smiled apologetically. "It's just getting late and..." She sighed and clapped her hands together. "Well, maybe you can stay. I was just in the middle of making dessert. I suppose I could share." The genie beamed before scuttling deeper into the kitchen. "You two are going to have to wait a while, though. And you can't stay long," she called. "I have to wake up early tomorrow."

I walked into the kitchen as Spectra drifted to the living room. I ran my hand across the black granite countertop. "What do you need to wake up so early for?"

Whisp scoffed and rose from behind the island. "School, of corpse." She waved a spatula at me. "You have to wake up early, too, Cleo. You don't want to be tardy." She rolled her eyes amicably. "It's not like you'd want detention with Mr. Hack."

Cleo? But Whisp was the one who got me trapped in her body in the first place. She should know who I was. That and, "Mister... Hack..?"

Whisp giggled. "How long has he been teaching at Monster High, anyway?"

"I... I wouldn't know," I responded charily. I looked over my shoulder to see Spectra attempting to peel back a bright yellow curtain. When it wouldn't budge, the ghost simply phased her face through so that she could see the window. She edged back.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "I didn't think I was out that long..."

"What's up?" I asked, somewhat relieved to stray away from the misapprehensive witch.

Spectra pointed a translucent finger toward the curtain. "It's day."

"Well of corpse," Whisp remarked suddenly as she strolled into the living room. "When else would the drapes open?"

"They open automatically?" I asked.

"But it's day," Spectra cut in before Whisp could respond. "It's day now."

The genie shook her head and pointed her spatula at a clock on the wall. "It's only seven o'clock at night."

"It was well past midnight when Cleo and I came out here," the violet-haired ghoul argued. "It shouldn't be any more than four in the morning."

Whisp narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "If that's the case, then I'm going to have to ask you two to leave. I have school tomorrow." She jutted her spatula out towards a door by a mirror, the one-way glass Spectra and I passed through. After leaving the spatula in the kitchen, the genie moved to stand by the mirror, her foot tapping impatiently. Spectra grudgingly glided beside me as we made our way to the door.

"Sorry I couldn't share dessert," Whisp said quietly. She reached for the doorknob, and when she touched it, a spark flew off her finger and the next second she crumpled to the floor.

"Whisp!" I fell to her side, bewildered. I heard a whooshing sound but I ignored it.

Spectra hovered to my side and gestured behind me. "The curtains opened."

I glanced over my shoulder and saw a sunny meadow past the windowpane. It looked so real, but I could already tell it was fake. There wasn't a meadow anywhere near the palace; the Queen had the land around the city destroyed. Whisp stirred slightly, and her eyes sluggishly opened. She blinked absentmindedly before smiling at us.

"Hi, ghouls." She rose to her feet, and I stood beside her. She moved to the kitchen. "It's nice that you're here and all but, honestly, I feel like I have enough of you two back at school." She giggled. "Spectra the gossip and Cleo the princess."

I approached the kitchen tentatively. "You went to school already?"

"Well yes," Whisp scoffed and pointed at the clock, its hands in different directions than before. "It's just four o'clock. I came back just now. I have no idea why you two decided on following me, though. Need help with homework?"

"I don't think a delusional ghoul is a juicy story for my blog," Spectra murmured dryly. There was urgency in her eyes. "We should leave."

I ignored Spectra and brought my attention back to Whisp. "What about dessert?"

"Dessert?" Whisp let out a laugh. "It's not even dinner time yet. If you want to wait that long, be my guest."

Spectra sighed loudly before languidly drifting around the room. My gaze swept about the kitchen for evidence of her cooking but the entire place was spotless as if it had reset itself. "Uh, Whisp," I asked with caution. "What's today's date?"

She raised an eyebrow as she moved into the living room and opened the coffee table drawer. "The thirteenth, Cleo. See?" She handed me a crumpled frog-themed calendar opened to September, specifically September the thirteenth, a Monday... five years ago. I grimaced. It almost pained me when I came to my conclusion. But Whisp couldn't be left in the dark like this. She had to know.

I gently set down the calendar. "Whisp... It's not the thirteenth of September. At least not outside your apartment."

She opened her mouth to speak but I raised a hand and motioned for her to sit down, and she sat on the couch below her with her arms crossed. I sat beside her.

"I need you to hear me out," I began steadily. "First, do you remember anything about..." I didn't know where to start. The amulet and charm? The blackmail? The body-swap? The school crashing down? Then it struck me. "Nefera?"

The genie leaned back. "Your sister? Why would I have anything to do with her?"

At this point, I felt like shouting that I wasn't Cleo but I held my tongue and continued. "You've talked, haven't you?"

Whisp's eyes were wide in bafflement for a moment. Then her gaze fell to her lap and she said quietly, "Y-yes. We have." Her forehead wrinkled with confusion.

"Do remember what she did? What she said?"

"I..." She bent over, her face contorted as if remembering a grim memory. Her voice was a harsh whisper, "She used me."

"Yes!" I almost leaped to my feet but composed myself when I noticed that Whisp had begun shaking. I was tentative to comfort her; I'd never seen someone react this way.

"This... isn't real," she rasped. Whisp cradled her head in her hands, and I instinctively reached out and pulled her shivering form into a hug.

I thought she had been returned to her lantern. What was she doing here? What did she know?

Whisp faced me with round eyes. "Frankie?"

I retracted myself. "Do you remember now?"

The genie nodded miserably and pulled her knees to her chest. "How long has it been?"

I exhaled deeply before answering. "Over five years."

She stiffened. "I can't imagine what's happened... I've been living the same imaginary day over and over." She pointed a quivering finger toward the 'door'. "The knob has been absorbing my magic power and redoing this day again and again..."

As much as I felt for Whisp, I didn't have time for this. I needed answers. I rose to my feet. "Spectra," I called aimlessly; she appeared at my side almost instantly. "We're leaving."

"Finally." The ghost grabbed my wrist and tugged me along until we phased out, my headache gone as if I had left it behind in the room.

Before she could drift away, I turned to her and stated firmly, "I need you to phase Whisp out of here and bring her to the front of the palace."

I darted off before she could respond, snatching the snake-man idol from the doorway. I ran out the relic room and down the hall, where I skidded to a halt. Spectra had gotten me through these walls. Then again, if the Queen could get through then there must be—

I caught sight of a loose plank in the wooden wall. Perfect. Then I'd make it to the shed door, which should presumably be easier to open from the inside. In a rush, I one-handedly detached the plank. Thoughts of the idol's outcome swarmed my mind, and I gripped it tighter. I had to do this.

It was long overdue.


	28. The Visitors: Part 3

"So what now?" Cleo asked. She sat slumped against the wall of the room, a huge map of the monster world on the wall across from her. Considering the circumstances, the mummy ghoul would be infuriated. Besides all the worldly chaos, being trapped in her sister's body was just icing on the misery cake—she had never been comfortable with being in a body that wasn't rightfully hers. But, right this second, it didn't really matter.

Deuce looked down at her with a tender smile. Cleo imagined his eyes just as gentle behind his sunglasses. "We wait, I guess."

"Do you really think she'll come back?" The mummy ghoul reluctantly tore her gaze away from her boyfriend to see Venus approaching the couple. "What happens if we have to go looking for her?"

Deuce shrugged. "Then we look for her."

Cleo felt her eyes moisten. Deuce hadn't changed a bit. So relaxed. Even after everything that's happened. Frankie convinced the two to talk things over earlier in the night. Cleo was glad to break the ice between them but she was repulsed at the thought of holding him—touching her boyfriend in a body that wasn't hers. When she woke up after passing out she had found herself in Deuce's arms, like a dream, yet Cleo had scrambled away immediately. She could tell by his smile that he understood, but all it did was make her heart ache.

How did Frankie do it? And for over a week! It amazed her that the young ghoul could adapt so well, not to mention the amnesia and pretending to have been someone else the whole time. Just thinking about it was exhausting.

Cleo heard Venus and trudge back to scour file cabinets alongside Toralei and Twyla. The tabby werecat prowled about the room while Twyla sporadically popped in and out of shadows.

"I think that's it," the blue-hued ghoul said. Venus moved beside her and nodded her head in agreement.

"Are you sure?" Toralei looked uncertain. "Maybe we can just try looking a little closer..." She reached out her hands towards a drawer handle but stopped suddenly, and her pointed ears twitched. The werecat laughed under her breath.

Cleo's brows furrowed. Before she could ask, someone came bounding through the entrance.

"Frankie!" she cried out. "You're back!" Cleo sprung up to greet her friend but stopped short when she noticed a glimmer of gold in the ghoul's hand. "Where did you get that?"

"Long story. I'll explain later," she dismissed. "Point is, it can return you to your rightful body, Cleo." Frankie spread out her arms and grinned. "Then you can be stuck in it," she joked.

A faint smile crossed the lips of Cleo's borrowed form. "It'll do more than that. You can be in your own body again, too, Frankie." Then she looked down at herself, her face contorting in disgust. "And so will Nefera."

Twyla spoke up first. "Wait, seriously?"

"What does it even do?" Venus asked.

Cleo reached out for the gold figurine, and Frankie let her take it. "This is the idol representing the Egyptian god of magic, Heka." Then she gasped. "Someone carved into it!"

"Weren't you explaining something?" Toralei cut in, her tail swaying with annoyance.

Cleo rolled her eyes but continued with a soft exhale. "This idol is meant to cleanse magic from a living being's essence. Powerful amulets and charms backfire with strong curses, but this idol's purpose is to rid of any inflicted magic from an outside source. Like whatever caused our body-swap."

"Whisp," Frankie mumbled. "She swapped us. It's why we're stuck like this."

"Whisp?" Cleo remembered Whisp, Gigi's shadow sister. She remembered the day Nefera and the genie had walked into her room unannounced and cast her into a presumably eternal slumber. Cleo shook her head as if discarding the memory. She looked down at the idol.

"This should do it for us, Frankie." She didn't take her eyes off the golden god of magic and the two snakes held in its hands. "It's very likely that this is the most powerful idol in my father's collection."

"So what's the catch?"

Cleo glanced over her shoulder. Deuce was slowly moving toward her. He looked tense. "There's gotta be a catch, right?"

Cleo sighed. "From what I remember, the curse explanation was very vague. Something about wandering in darkness..." She scoffed. "It's clearly a metaphor of sorts. Although..." She turned toward her boyfriend. "Ridding magic is a high price to pay, so whoever uses this idol will be cursed... permanently." Her voice cracked at the word.

Cleo forced herself to look up at Deuce. _Don't_ , she tried to convey. _It's not worth it. Please._

Deuce's jaw clenched and she could tell the Gorgon understood her. But no matter how much she pleaded, she knew what the outcome would be. Much of the Deuce she knew in high school remained but he'd changed these past years. Cleo couldn't sway him this time.

His hand wrapped around the idol's head and Cleo's grip loosened, leaving nothing but air between her palms. "Are you sure?"

"I'll do it, Cleo. I'll help make this right." He gave her a small yet somewhat sad smile. Deuce was never one of many words but, through that tiny smile, Cleo knew exactly what he was saying.

She felt like screaming. Cleo wanted to command him to stop, to worry about himself not her. But she held her tongue. This is what he wants. Cleo's voice resembled a faint echo, "Thank you." She let her gaze drop to the ground as her vision blurred with unshed tears. "All you have to do is rub the back of its head and you'll activate it."

"Whoa wait, you're gonna let him do this?" Venus broke in.

"Yeah," Twyla said. "Didn't you say something about 'wandering in darkness'?"

Cleo took a deep breath, her eyes still facing downward. "If Deuce thinks this is the best way to help me, then there's no reason for me to stop him." She finally raised her head and stared harshly at Deuce, past his shades and into his reptile-green eyes. She gave a small, confident nod.

Deuce didn't hesitate.

Light seeped from the idol with a quick brush of his thumb, its blinding brilliance briefly flooding the room.

What was seconds felt like hours, and Cleo dropped to the floor in an exhausted heap. After a few moments, she rose to her feet. Twyla materialized from a shadow beside her.

"Did it work?" she asked. "Is that you, Cleo?"

The mummy ghoul blinked, her eyelids heavy as she processed the question. Cleo looked down at her hands— _her_ hands. The perfect shade of tan she'd grown so accustomed to the past millennia of her unlife.

"Oh, thank Ra!" Her arms dramatically fell to her sides. "I was beginning to think I was going to be trapped in Nefera's body forever. Although I'll admit, Nefera's outfit is much better than what Frankie dressed me in." She looked down at herself and grimaced, a particular amount of disgust directed at the sneakers.

A clatter sounded when Deuce spoke. "Cleo?"

Relief morphed to worry in an instant, and Cleo's stomach rolled with anxiety. "Deuce?"

To her surprise, the Gorgon stood in the same place he was a moment ago, the idol at his feet. Cleo let out a reassured sigh and bounded toward him. She hesitated before holding his hands and gently intertwining her fingers with his.

"You're safe," she said softly.

It took a second, but he smiled, and Cleo once again feared for the worst.

"What's wrong?"

His thumbs traced circles on the back of her hand as if trying to soothe her. "I think I know what this 'wandering in darkness' is about."

"Well, Deuce? What is it?" Cleo looked straight at his sunglasses, imagining the green of his eyes like she always did. He wasn't facing her. "Look at me and speak."

"That's the thing, babe. Unless someone turned out the lights, I don't think I can look." Deuce's hands stiffened in Cleo's grip, and his voice was pained and hoarse. "I think I'm blind."

Cleo felt her hands go limp. "Blind?"

Toralei spoke up, "Not to rain on the already soggy parade, but I think Nefera's starting to come to her senses."

Cleo willed herself to look over her shoulder. Nefera held her head as if she was dizzy. Then she looked down at herself, and her eyes grew round like saucers. "H-how?" A flicker of joy lighted her face, only to be replaced with dread. " _No..._ "

Rapid, panicked breathing overtook Nefera's regal figure. Her gaze flickered upon each of the monsters in the room, all too dumbfounded to react. Then she swiveled around and hastily lumbered across the room toward the map on the wall.

Cleo reluctantly moved away from her boyfriend. "Nefera..."

Her sister frantically reached out for the map, and she tore at its edges until it was nothing but shredded fragments pinned to the wall.

"What's she doing..?" Twyla asked.

Cleo was close enough to touch Nefera when she ripped off another piece of the map and slapped the wall with her hand. Then the room turned red and blaring sirens broke into Cleo's eardrums.

"I guess that's our cue to leave," Twyla remarked over the noise.

Toralei clutched her ears with her hands. "Was that some sort of button or—?"

"No time for questions!" Venus called suddenly. "Let's get out of here!"

Cleo rushed through the room and grabbed Deuce's hand before following the others out. The mummy ghoul's footsteps felt heavy as she hurriedly guided her boyfriend down the red-lit corridor. Then her steps suddenly faltered and she looked to see Deuce had stopped her.

"Deuce we have to move—!"

"We're missing Frankie," he cut in.

"I know where the Queen's room is," Twyla said, peeling out from a shadow beside them. "Follow me." Twyla began moving the opposite direction, and Cleo dragged Deuce behind her.

"Wait!" Venus ran to catch up with them, Toralei at her side. "We have to go this way. We'll get out sooner."

"We're not leaving without her," Cleo said firmly.

The ghoul's eyes were frantic. "But—"

"There!"

Cleo froze at the sound of her sister's voice, and she tightened her hold on Deuce's hand. The clicking of heels followed by a pair of footsteps resonated in the crimson hall.

A tall figure stood beside Nefera. "So these are the rebels?" The voice's owner stepped closer, revealing a pale-skinned monster with dark hair. His grin unveiled his fangs.

Venus stiffened, and she slowly turned around. "Valentine."

The vampire took a step back. Then he rolled his eyes. "Hi, Venus."

She didn't look back at when she addressed them. "Go, all of you. I can take care of myself."

Cleo couldn't help but scoff. "Out of the question." She moved forward, but Deuce held her back. "But..."

Toralei scampered toward them. "Come on."

Cleo knew there wasn't any use arguing. A pang of guilt sliced through her before she and Deuce followed behind Twyla and Toralei, leaving Venus in the dark.

This had better be worth it.

-.-.-.-

After zigzagging aimlessly around the palace and climbing a long flight of stairs, Cleo was grateful that they had finally stopped moving.

"Where did you say her room was?" she asked.

Twyla hesitated. "I know it's in this hallway..."

Cleo opened her mouth to chide the ghoul until the door beside her swung open. Frankie stood in the doorway. She was dressed in a short teal nightgown and her striped hair was pulled back into a braid.

"I'm guessing we're leaving?"

The rest nodded and scurried back the way they came.

"Where's Venus?" Frankie called as they fled down the stairs.

"We had to leave her behind," Toralei responded.

Cleo heard Frankie gasp. "What? No. We have to go back—"

"It's too late for that," Cleo cut in. "It was her decision."

"Here!" Twyla stopped short and pointed ahead. "The entryway's here. We can just get out through the front."

The others followed as soon as she treaded ahead. Enormous double-doors came into view, and Twyla held one open as everyone filed out.

The night sky was starting to fade, but it was barely lit enough to see. A ghoul stood beside the entryway, a startled expression on her face as the group of monsters rushed out the palace.

Frankie immediately moved toward the ghoul and grabbed her wrist. "Where's Spectra?" she asked her.

"S-she left a while ago," the ghoul said. "What are you doing? Where are we going?"

Frankie's voice was surprisingly calm. "Relax, Whisp, it's safe. But we have to hurry."

Whisp... Cleo barely recognized her. What kind of genie dresses in denim?

They didn't stop running until the city was nothing but a cluster of buildings behind them.


	29. Backstage

_Five years ago..._

Nefera shut the sarcophagus. She sighed. That was the last she would see of her sister. The Anubis guards were waiting outside the crypt, ready to carry her back down the mountain.

Something had changed within Nefera these past few days. The princess wished to do anything she wanted, and the genie helped accomplish that. But lately, she wanted more. She wanted her wishes to make a mark. She wanted the power she was destined to have.

It was the call from Mistress Bloodgood that made it all click.

She overheard her father on the phone and knew exactly what that lowly pretentious woman was talking about: her senior year. The desire for rule overcame her, and she focused on nothing else but leading the Fear Squad, where she felt the closest to being a queen.

So she cheated.

It was the only way she was going to be free of that school.

Why would someone destined for greatness need to be subjugated by such trivial societal rules? She was a princess, was she not? She hated that she missed her time to rule.

She remembered it all. Running in fear. Wondering where her mother was. Waking up with her father and sister only to no longer being humans, but mummies centuries later.

Dead.

Nefera wanted to feel alive.

Later, she told the genie to meet her. Nefera wanted to see the last place she felt like a queen.

Monster High.

Maybe it could serve some purpose during her rule.

She tried her best to avoid all of her sister's friends. Although she was in Cleo's body, she definitely didn't want to deal with anything having to do with her. She locked that away in the sarcophagus.

After Monster High, Nefera went to the nearby farmhouse, abandoned by its former zombie tenants.

All through the way, she knew she was being followed. But she paid it no mind. The farmhouse was the perfect place to enact her spell. The charm burned in her fist.

Finally, she would get what she deserved.

It wasn't until moments later that she regretted it all.

* * *

I woke with a start, the walls of Bloodgood's former home glumly greeting me. Did I just receive another dream from Whisp? I looked to my side where she was sleeping on the loveseat beside the recliner I was in. How was she still sending me dreams? I tried to be careful not to wake the others as I reached out of my blanket and gently shook her shoulder.

She awoke with a flutter of her eyelids. "Frankie?" She let out a yawn. "Is it time to leave?"

"Not yet," I whispered. "I want to ask you something." I leaned in closer on my elbows, and she sat up on the couch. "Could you tell me why I'm having dreams? About the past? And getting headaches along with it or whenever I'm near you?"

Whisp raised an eyebrow. "That... that should only happen with the earrings I gave you." She looked at Cleo, cuddled on the floor with Deuce. "Maybe it only affects the mind." She sighed. "Those earrings are ancient charms I hoped would help you find me, and I could become your genie. That way, you could return to your original body."

"Wait a minute. How are you here in the first place? Nefera made you return to your lamp. She finished her wishes."

The genie huddled into her blanket. "It was Valentine. He's my finder."

"What?"

"Nefera wanted my power, and he sided with her." Whisp's voice broke. "He s-said he didn't want to..." The genie went silent for a long moment.

I shifted in the recliner. "But why? Why did Nefera want your power?"

Whisp took a steady breath. "Valentine... he said she needed me close. I never found out why."

I decided to change the subject. "I've had a few dreams. Even one about my past. But every dream since has been about your memories. Except for this one. This one was about Nefera."

She kept her gaze lowered. "And what about now? Did you dream?"

"Yeah. I did."

Whisp kept quiet. A strand of blue hair fell out from her bun. "I heard you left a friend behind."

Venus. I gave a weak smile. "I'm not worried. There's no way she'd go in there without some sorta plan."

Whisp perked up. "An escape plan?"

"Something drastic, I bet."

We were startled to see Toralei awake on the indigo couch across the den. She grinned at our surprise. The werecat's tail swayed languidly while she lay on her stomach propped up on her elbows. Her emerald eyes were bright with energy. "You should've seen the look in her eyes."

Whisp's voice was barely audible when she addressed her. "You were awake during our conversation?"

Toralei rotated onto her back and let her tail sway alongside the couch. "I'm awake during a lot of conversations."

"Keep your voice down, Toralei," I whispered as loudly as I could. "The rest are still asleep."

As if on cue, Cleo sat up from the rug on the floor. Her cyan irises barely peeked past her eyelashes. "What's going on?"

Toralei rolled her eyes and gradually slid off the couch until her feet touched the floor. "I'm going to get some food."

Cleo's eyes widened at the sight of the werecat. Then she let out a groan. "Oh. Right." She looked down at herself and scowled. "Ugh. Why did you have to dress like this, Frankie?"

I stifled a giggle. "Sorry, but your platforms weren't good for hiking."

She gasped. "Hiking? You made me hike? Dressed like this?" She looked horrified.

"I think you make it work," Deuce said suddenly, rising by her side.

A sad smile formed on Cleo's lips, but she kept herself lighthearted. "Thank you, Deuce. Although, I'm not sure a fashion opinion from a blind Gorgon is worth much."

"Are your snakes blind, too?" I asked.

He flinched when I spoke, yet he had on an easygoing smile. "I don't think so... Cleo?"

The mummy ghoul hummed in thought. "Well..." She poked at one of the green serpents on the Gorgon's head, and it was soon nuzzling against her finger. She giggled. "Definitely not blind."

"What about his powers?" Twyla asked from the love seat in the dark corner. "The 'turning-to-stone' thing."

Cleo scoffed. "Of corpse he still has his powers. The curse said 'wandering in darkness' not..." The room was dead silent the second she trailed off. Deuce had taken off his sunglasses and nothing was turned to stone. No virescent rays, just bright green reptilian eyes blinking listlessly in the open air.

Deuce's voice faltered, "Huh. Side effect." His grip on his shades loosened. "Weird."

His shoulders slumped forward as if an enormous weight pressed upon him. Cleo's touch didn't ease him, but she didn't pry or even try to speak—none of us did. We knew there was nothing we could do. Deuce was blind, and now he had to live with it.

When his sunglasses fell from his palm, and the room was still thick with silence, Deuce placed his hand over Cleo's and cracked a faint grin.

"I bet I have a pretty bad tan line."

* * *

"You know, it's not as bad as you think," said the ghoul on the other side of the bars. She knelt down on the dirt-covered concrete. "I can help you escape."

Venus' blue eyes shone lightly in the darkness of the cell. "No. You've done enough by just coming to talk to me. You know about the rebels so you can help now."

The other frowned. "But—"

"Clawdeen," Venus interrupted, "it's okay."

"But don't you want to go back to them?" Clawdeen asked.

Venus paused. Then shook her head. "There's something I plan to do here." She held out her arm, then pulled back her sleeve revealing dark thorns amidst an array of black veins on her pale green skin.

Clawdeen's voice dropped to a disbelieving whisper. "What happened?"

Venus sighed. "It's poison. Sometimes it happens to us plant monsters, depending on our environment. We react this way. No one else in my family has since my great-grandfather when his town burned down." She pulled down her sleeve. "Guess it's only fitting I have it now."

"Is it..." Clawdeen was afraid to ask. "Is it in your blood?"

"Not until recently," Venus said. "It was just in the thorns at first. It's basically a signal. It both keeps me alive and warns me that I need to go somewhere with more plants but..." Her expression hardened. "I can't go now."

Clawdeen grimaced. "It looks painful."

Venus sighed. "Like I said, it's a warning."

The Wolf's eyes widened. "Venus, if this hurts you-"

"Last night, when I was captured," Venus cut in, "The vampires threatened to drink my blood. Valentine bit me a while back before this got worse but should he try again _now_..." Her face possessed a blazing determination. "The Queen will lose her greatest asset. If I go down with him then so be it."

The werewolf's hand encircled one of the cell bars and she sighed. "Look, I know Frankie hasn't been herself lately, but you gotta believe that she's doing some good here. The city isn't a bad place."

Venus was already shaking her head. "The Queen was never Frankie. Nefera switched bodies with her and Cleo."

Clawdeen's ear twitched. "Come again?"

-.-.-.-

"How does the song go?" Skelita asked Clawdeen as she stepped out the Wolf's golden car into the heat of the afternoon.

The werewolf had her mind elsewhere. Now that she was exposed to the quietness of the cloudless day, thoughts of Venus' revelation resurfaced. Not only had Clawdeen been lied to the past five years but her loyalty had also been misplaced. She had assumed Frankie was a good leader—she couldn't expect anyone else in charge but it turned out she wasn't ruling at all. As Frankie, Nefera would keep to herself only to go out on rare occasions and express a small amount of gratitude to her followers. Clawdeen had thought perhaps the Queen was busy running her city, but to find out Valentine was pulling the strings? She was braced to feel betrayal, but instead she felt an overbearing wave of guilt. I should've known.

A clink of chains hauled Clawdeen out of her thoughts. "Who cares how the song goes?" A blur of poltergeist green drifted out the vehicle. "It's a concert. Just have fun."

Spectra's own chains sounded as her ethereal form came to hover beside the other. "It's not wrong for her to ask, Porter."

"It's not wrong to have fun either," he retorted, crossing his arms. "Besides it—"

Spectra quieted him with a swift kiss on the cheek, replacing his grin with a brief blush. She glided off toward the stadium and Porter soared after her.

Clawdeen rubbed her temples. Skelita laughed. "At least we're not stuck in the car with them anymore," she noted with a flick of her skeletal hand.

The werewolf let out a groan when she remembered their incessant giggling during the drive. "I love them, I do, but I'm so glad they went ahead without us."

Skelita smiled. "How long have they been together?"

"A few years now." Clawdeen started making her way through the stuffed parking lot and the skeleton followed.

"They act like it," she remarked. Then confusion came over her painted face. "But at the same time..."

"They don't?" Clawdeen chimed in. Skelita nodded. The Wolf chuckled dryly. "They're high school sweethearts and an old married couple combined. I don't know how it works, but it does."

Skelita gave a slight tilt of her head in response. "So I'm guessing that would explain the matching clothes?" She pointed ahead where the duo floated by the dome-shaped stadium.

The couple wore sleeveless black outfits, Porter in a t-shirt and jeans and Spectra in a dress that cut halfway down her thigh. The design, if one were to call it so, was an array of silver and pink splatter paint with "NOIR" scrawled in enormous white letters across the front of their chests. The ensemble made it seem like Porter had wanted to prepare for the occasion, and Clawdeen couldn't help but laugh.

She turned to her friend after repressing her laughter. "I think Porter just got a little excited."

The werewolf reached to pull her hair back and observed her own outfit, glad she had decided on a stylish leopard print skirt and purple halter top, which went great with her surprisingly comfortable gold-colored wedges. Skelita had gone more casual in simpler wedges, a denim skirt, and a traditional white Hexican blouse; her dual-colored hair hung loosely past her shoulders.

The ghouls merged into a herd of monsters filing across the pavement and toward the daunting stadium entrance. Skelita pointed at the ghosts again. "Should we catch up with them?"

Clawdeen shook her head. "They can't do anything until I get there. I have the tickets..." She unzipped her purse and tugged out four tagged lanyards, an amicably sly grin on her lips. "And the backstage passes."

-.-.-.-

The backstage passes had allowed Clawdeen and the others to visit Catty Noir in her dressing room where she was more than happy to welcome them. It was a moderately small yet spacious white-walled, poster-adorned room with black carpeting. A gaudy vanity rested in the corner beside a rack of flashy costumes, and a long pink couch curled against the wall with a silver ottoman across from it, a glass coffee table between the two.

Catty sat on the couch clad in a jewel-embellished pink dress that ran in slits down her legs. She gave a swift flick of her tail before leaning to grab an apple slice from the plate on the coffee table. "I can't tell you how great it is to see familiar faces before the show. I was getting really nervous."

Clawdeen lounged beside the pop star and waved her comment aside. "Don't worry, ghoul. It's totally understandable that you'd be nervous after all this time."

The glamorous werecat sent Clawdeen a small, appreciative smile. Spectra, hovering above the coffee table to face the pop star, scribbled furiously on her notepad.

"Hmm... Do you mind specifying why you're nervous?" the ghost asked.

Catty pushed back a strand of her magenta hair. Her ear gave a slight twitch. "I'm always nervous before a show."

Spectra momentarily bit her lip before speaking, "No, I mean could you specifically specify—Could you please stop?"

The ghoul glared at Porter behind her, who had been flying around in circles with a finger held out to rattle the chains dangling from her waist. Porter flashed her an impish grin and phased out through the ceiling. Spectra shook her head and flew up after him.

Skelita, who sat on the ottoman across the table, had her brown eyes wide with amusement the second they whooshed past her, and the rest of the ghouls burst into giggles. Skelita extended a bony hand toward the table.

"May I?" she asked before grabbing an apple slice.

Catty nodded. "Take as much as you want. Just be sure to leave at least four for me, okay?"

She took a bite. "Gracias."

"Still superstitious?" Clawdeen inquired.

"Of corpse." The werecat gestured at the broken glass at the end of her collar. "I'd never go anywhere without this."

"Oh!" The ghoul's lifted their heads at Spectra's voice past the ceiling. "Still superstitious! That's something I can—Porter!" Spectra let out a frustrated huff while Porter snickered.

The ghouls burst into laughter for a moment and, when they had quieted, Catty exhaled deeply. She held her hands in her lap. "Honestly, the superstitions are the only thing keeping me calm right now. It's felt like centuries since I've been anywhere near Monster High."

An unnerving silence wafted amongst the ghouls, and they avoided eye contact. Clawdeen was the one to break the tension. She pointed upward. "What do you think of their outfits?"

The pop star's lips upturned. "The ghosts?" A laugh spilled from her mouth. "Well, it's nice to see some fan appreciation." There was a sudden buzz of vibration, and Catty's ears perked up when she reached to check her iCoffin. Her brows furrowed as a trace of astonishment crossed her face. Then she rose to her feet. "It's been fun, ghouls, but you have to go."

A voice sounded from above, "Go?" Porter glided down. "But we just got here."

Spectra floated in, her arms crossed. "And you were doing what, exactly?"

He chuckled. "Good point." The poltergeist gave Catty a small wave before departing.

His ghoulfriend let out a sigh before facing the werecat. "I'm sorry about earlier. It's just, we haven't been together for a while and he's... I'll go after him." Spectra drifted out the room.

Catty looked anxious. "Okay, ghouls, you too."

"Whoa, whoa." Clawdeen sprang from the couch. "Porter's right, Catty. We just got here. What's the big deal?"

"It's nothing. I just have to get ready for the show," she said hurriedly, already ushering Skelita and the werewolf out the door. It closed behind them with an abrupt slam.

"Hijole," Skelita exclaimed. "She seemed in a rush, didn't she?"

Concern etched onto Clawdeen's face. "Yeah... What could've shown up on her phone that made her so nervous to get rid of us?"

The other shrugged. "Maybe it's her manager? He could be really strict."

The Wolf nodded, but her doubts remained. She strode forward. "Come on, let's get to our seats."

Meanwhile, in her dressing room, Catty's magenta irises were glued to the screen of her iCoffin. She had only seen the text notification; the number wasn't in her contacts but she recognized it instantly. Although she regretted shoving out the ghouls, she knew she had to view it in private.

Catty tapped a clawed finger at the screen to view her messages, and a burst of apprehension and delight stirred inside her once she read it.

 _We found them._

* * *

Pressing stares bore into my back once we made it back to the camp. Agitating prickles crawled along my skin beneath the weight of their gazes, and I hastened after the other monsters, almost squashing Twyla's heel in front of me. With each step, another pair of eyes latched on, stunned and unblinking as if they were witnessing the arrival of a menacing beast. Gory and Bram were the only ones who braved any sort of emotion, the ghoul whispering into her boyfriend's ear and both sending wry smirks my way.

A shock of fiery orange poked into the scene, and Heath looked relieved once he saw us. He jogged a short distance to meet us. "How'd it go? Where's Venus?" His russet eyes met mine for a brief second, and I could feel the worry build up within me. He pointed in my direction. "Is that Frankie or Nefera?"

My voice came out timid from the back of the group, "It's me. Frankie."

He beamed. "Awesome. And I'm guessing you're yourself too, Cleo?"

" _Undeniably_ ," she intoned with a flourish of her hand and a self-satisfied grin. Then the mummy's face fell. "Although, Deuce..."

The Gorgon held up his hands. "I can't see."

Heath turned to look at him but pulled back immediately. "Is that why you're not wearing your sunglasses? Your powers don't work because—?"

"Because I'm blind." Deuce put on a lopsided smile. "It's a long story, but I don't regret it." He fumbled for Cleo's hand and she gently held it. She smiled, yet her demeanor radiated with despondency.

Heath grimaced. "So should I ask about details later or..?"

"We made it to the palace," Toralei said abruptly, striding up to him. "Then we searched for information about us and got rid of it. Sometime during it all, _she_ ," she looked over her shoulder at me, "ran off. When she came back, she had this Egyptian idol thingy that reversed the whole 'wrong body oopsies' and this one, that one, and Nefera were back to normal. But when Nef sicced her vamp on us, Venus decided to stay behind. Then we left."

Heath's eyes darted past us as he took in the information. Then his brows creased. "And Deuce is blind because..?"

"He activated the idol," Twyla chirped in. "The curse was permanent."

The other slowly nodded. "Okay. One last question," he pointed toward the group, "who's she?"

We followed Heath's gaze to Whisp, who was apparently uncomfortable under the sudden attention. Strands of pink and blue hair fell from her updo when she directed her eyes at the brittle grass.

"I'm Whisp... I don't know if you remember me..."

Heath squinted at the ghoul. Then he grinned and snapped his fingers. "Whisp! Yeah, I remember you. Hey, remember this?" He cleared his throat and gave a quick wiggle of his eyebrows. "So, you're a genie... mind granting my wish?"

A chorus of groans erupted—even from the monsters on the sidelines. Heath grinned shamelessly. "What? I couldn't help it back then." Then he caught us off guard when his expression grew serious. His voice was low, "Look, I'm glad you guys came back safe but... There's something you should know."

"Yeah." Toralei swished her tail and pointed up at the sun. "Where is everybody? It's only noon."

The fire elemental shrugged awkwardly. "It's a funny story, actually." He moved further into the camp and beckoned us to follow.

Our footsteps thrummed after him. We moved past the dining pavilion and into the garden where an even larger bunch of monsters surrounded one lone monster amidst the produce. I couldn't see him from where I stood so, fatigued from the trek, I sat. I kept my legs beneath me, worried to sit cross-legged in the nightgown Nefera had dressed my body in. My hair remained in the braid she had it in, but it felt so new that I didn't plan to unravel it anytime soon.

I sat alone in a sea of grass while the others ran off to see the cause of the commotion. It took a moment for me to notice the pair of sandals beside me, and I glanced up to see Lagoona smiling brilliantly.

"Frankie!" She knelt by my side, pushing a blonde tress of hair behind her finned ear. Her green eyes were alight with joy. "You're you!"

I giggled and we shared a quick hug. Then she rose and helped me to my feet. We headed toward the crowd. As we neared, I began to feel underdressed compared to the others; even Lagoona wore shorts and a tank top. She had clearly come to see what the fuss was about, but all her attention was on me.

Her enthusiasm made my heart swell, and I felt as if I wasn't being gawked at just minutes before. "So how'd you get back to normal, love?"

I opened my mouth to respond when the crowding monsters parted, and the source of their fixation took a step forward. A glint of reflected sunlight blinded me for a split-second, but then the voice came, and my jaw dropped open.

"Lagoona?"

The sea ghoul froze, and when she finally mustered up the ability to speak, her voice broke.

" _Gil?_ "


	30. Old Friends, New Arrivals

**A/N:** _Second year of college complete... I know I haven't been so frequent with updates this year, but I promise it will be completed._

 _However, next month I'm studying abroad so I can't promise many chapter uploads. Also, I'm working hard on concluding the story. I have an idea for pretty much everything except the ending. It's TBD._

 _In fact, if any of you lovely readers have any speculations about how you think this story ends, send them my way! Anyway, enjoy this next chapter!_

* * *

He had been told where to find them—his friends. He was surprised to see them located in such a remote area. It was a small camp that once whiled away its summers uniting young monsters and humans. But now it was home to an older group of monsters: his former classmates. When they had seen him advancing toward the camp, they stared on dumbfounded. Recognition was simple. It was the realization of his existence that they had trouble processing.

"Is that..?"

"Oh my ghoul!"

"But how?!"

They rushed him, forcing him to crush a couple of crops as he was backed into the garden. They buffeted him with questions but he was too stunned to answer. So many familiar faces... Some he had been close to, others he hadn't, but he remembered all of them.

"You're not... dead?"

The word, said so unsurely, struck him. The voices muffled in his hearing. He tried to respond, to open his mouth and assure them he was fine—and others too—but even when the asking took a less dour turn, he couldn't bring himself to reply.

Then someone brought up the breathing tube enclosing his nose and he almost laughed. It was easier and lighter than the helmet he had worn in high school, but it still interfered. The sun, for instance, would occasionally cause a glare like the helmet, momentarily blinding not only him but also those who were subject to the reflected light.

Yet if it weren't for the glare, he would've noticed her sooner. Her name was the first word he spoke since his feet touched the ground.

"Lagoona?"

Unlike him, her style changed. Her clothes were plain: brown shorts, leather sandals, a white tank top... Of course, that didn't matter to him. The soft blue of her skin was visibly dry, and it pained him to see her that way. Her blonde hair framed her freckled face, the one feature that stood out to him the most. Only five years had passed since he had last seen her and yet she looked worn and tired.

"Gil?"

Her eyes widened. Green and full of life—that was the one thing that hadn't changed. The air seemed thick like water, and they were swimming in an abyss of it—a chasm filled to the brim with trepidation and teeming with slivers of hope.

The second he wanted to run to her, she beat him to it. It caught him off guard, but he quickly returned her embrace, welcoming the brush of her cheek against the gills on his exposed neck. When the tears began to fall, they held each other tighter, and the ache in their chests softened.

* * *

The sun reigned high in the sky. Clouds soon accompanied it as the heat subsided. The drive back from the concert consisted of remarkably little traffic, although the incessant giggling in the back seat was anything but pleasant. Clawdeen was more than relieved when they had returned to the palace, the ghost couple phasing out the car as soon as it was parked.

But when the quiet came, Clawdeen was dragged back into her thoughts. Skelita trailed behind her as the Wolf's mind wandered. One step onto the palace's marble floor shocked Clawdeen back to reality, and she remembered the imprisoned plant ghoul with a suicide mission.

"Venus..."

Skelita was at her side, her brows furrowed in confusion. " _¿Qué?_ Did you say something, Clawdeen?"

Her gold eyes widened at the attention. "Uh, nothing. I gotta go."

She disregarded the skeletal ghoul and dashed down the nearest corridor with supernatural speed. She rushed down a flight of stairs until she found her claws yanking open the metal door leading into the dungeon.

Senses alert, Clawdeen took a cautious step forward. The she-wolf's ear twitched as she tried to pick up any sign of movement. When she caught none, she held her nose high and inhaled deeply. Venus' scent came quickly, and Clawdeen felt assured when she didn't catch Valentine's. At ease, the Wolf took reassured steps to the ghoul's cell.

If I go down with him then so be it.

Clawdeen was less than a foot away when the coppery smell of blood engulfed her nostrils.

She stumbled on panicked steps to Venus' cell. Darkness enshrouded anything past the bars. Realizing that it was unlocked, Clawdeen slid the barred door open.

Venus was sprawled on the dirt ground with one arm outstretched Her eyes were glazed and wide open; the black poisonous liquid pooled beneath her opened neck. Clawdeen loomed over the fallen ghoul for what felt like hours, her mouth agape in astonished horror.

Though the stench of blood was strong, Clawdeen caught another scent—Valentine's. Her eyes swept across the cell, but there was no sign of the vampire. She shook her head—maybe she'd been mistaken.

"You're not."

Clawdeen whipped her head around to the voice, tense and ears perked. In the corner of the cell, a pair of red eyes dimly shone.

She took a step closer to Venus' body as if defending her. "Are you proud of this?"

Valentine wheezed out a dry laugh. "Of course not." He shakily stood to his feet, clutching his side and letting out a hoarse cough. "She wanted this."

The Wolf shook her head. "No. She wanted you gone. So she put herself at risk."

Valentine took a step forward. "Some plan."

"She was my friend!"

"And now she's dead."

Clawdeen stared down at Venus, her vision blurring.

Valentine let out another cough. "Help me out of here. I need fresh blood."

"Get someone else to help you," Clawdeen sneered. "I'll... I'll take care of the body."

As the vampire trudged out, Clawdeen brought her gaze back to the body and carefully knelt beside it. She could hardly think—the reek of blood was overwhelming. She willed herself to reach a trembling hand to close Venus' eyes—once a fierce bright blue now livid and devoid of life. The Wolf's shoulders shook uncontrollably, and she clenched her eyes shut. Her chest throbbed and bile simmered in her throat. She remembered Venus in high school. Determined, just like today. All Venus wanted was to make the world a better place.

All that remained were the rebels Venus had told her about. Now she had to find them... for Venus' sake.

* * *

Darkness swept over the parched land the instant they caught sight of trees in the distance.

Excitement bubbled up inside him. He pointed ahead. "Look! A forest!"

He turned to look at the ghouls behind him, and his mood immediately fell. To say they were tired would be an understatement. The two were panting as they ran to keep up with him, and their eyelids dared to drop closed in exhaustion.

He sighed. He knew he shouldn't have expected too much from them. He was a werewolf; they weren't.

"That's good to hear, Clawd," Jinafire said as soon as she reached him. The smile she gave him looked forced, like she was trying to repress her weariness.

Jane Boolittle, her dark, red-highlighted hair pulled back and purple skin sleek with sweat ran up beside her and sent Clawd a nod in agreement.

"Not everything around the city's a wasteland," he said triumphantly. "We've been gone long enough; we should head back to tell the others."

The golden dragon shook her head. Her green eyes showed a hasty resilience. "I would think it unwise to turn around after traveling so far."

Clawd frowned but perked up the next second. "Okay. Let's set up camp in the forest!"

He hurtled toward the woods. He could tell the ghouls were struggling to run alongside him, but he couldn't help himself. The ghouls were tired, and he sympathized with them, but the sooner they camped for the night the sooner they were able to leave—and Clawd was itching to go back.

It wasn't the rough, dry camp he yearned for but the monsters in it—the atmosphere of their presence. From his ghoulfriend, Draculaura, to his friends Deuce, Heath, Slo-Mo, Jackson... Even Bram and Gory. He longed to see them all again. He longed to be home.

After trekking deep into the forest, the three settled in a small hollow. Clawd slipped the knapsacks off his shoulders. He had offered to carry them when the group's necessities waned. Jane immediately plopped down onto the grass—tall and lush, unlike what they were used to these past five years.

Jinafire was peeking past the barrier of trees. She dragged out sticks to the center and placed them in a pile. Once she was seated beside Jane, the dragon pursed her lips and puffed a quick burst of flame, igniting the wood.

Clawd grinned. "Way to go, Jin. A campfire's a great idea. Now we can heat up the..." The Wolf's brows creased as he raised his knapsack from the ground. It was abnormally light. When he opened it, he was startled to see it empty. Okay, no problem.

"We're out of food, so I'm going to see if I can find anything out there. We'll roast whatever I catch." He bounded into the trees.

"Be careful!" Jinafire called, her voice almost inaudible in Clawd's ears.

His footsteps steadily thumped upon the forest floor as he ran; he was tempted to fall onto all fours. It'd been nearly two weeks since they had set out on their journey and now they finally found land that was more than just dirt. Then again, they might have found it sooner if they hadn't taken so many breaks in between. As relieving as it was, their friends were probably worried. Clawd hoped they weren't too worked up about their absence. The last thing he'd want is for them to put themselves in danger because of him.

It wasn't long before Clawd caught the scent of prey. He stopped in his tracks, observant of the wooded area surrounding him. Then his eyes landed on the white tail of a fleeing rabbit. A greedy grin spread onto Clawd's face. It'd felt like ages since he last hunted like a real werewolf. He pursued the scent of the rabbit, making his way over fallen branches and thick brush as stealthily as his body allowed.

A small flash of white brushed past Clawd's vision, and he froze. The rabbit was a few feet away. He carefully pushed past the pressing foliage, his eyes trained on the rabbit's tiny form in the small patch of grass. Then it stiffened suddenly, and panic overtook the werewolf. He leaped at it a second too late. It had already darted into the woods.

A curse spouted out Clawd's mouth. He rose from the ground and shook his head. So close. He blinked, adjusting to the night. He hadn't realized it had gotten so dark so soon. With a dejected sigh, Clawd turned to head back to the ghouls. He had to do a double take when he glanced up. He expected to see a plume of smoke rising above the trees, but there was no sign of a campfire.

He let out another sigh and sniffed the air. At least there was the faint scent of smoke to guide him. The Wolf lumbered onward. Clawd let his thoughts carry him to a more comfortable time, back when he was younger, more carefree, and monsters coexisted with humans. A time when Monster High still stood.

His mind traipsed further, and the memory of pounding rain became so vivid in his mind he could almost see her. Drenched in rain, her hair plastered to her face, Draculaura shivered in the storm. It was the moment Clawd felt something new for her. She wasn't a family friend anymore. She was something... special. But even when he had proceeded to drive her home, he couldn't quite place how he felt. That was different now, and he was glad their relationship had endured the years.

Clawd noticed a flicker of light in the corner of his eye and stilled. He warily stepped to his left, a twig breaking beneath his sole. "Jin?"

The Wolf heard a low rumbling, and he knew he wasn't alone. A force pummeled him onto his back. Blazing red eyes brutally stared through him. Clawd barely had time to react when the creature tore at him. Each scratch burned like fire.

"Clawd!" Jinafire's frantic yell came loud and clear. Flames abruptly blasted at the beast, and it released its hold on Clawd.

The beast was an enormous, ruthless canine with long claws and dark fur like coal; its eyes broiled with flames. The Wolf dazedly watched as Jinafire breathed fire at it. Jane was at her side desperately attempting to communicate with it. But the beast remained unfazed, and it swatted at the ghouls like toys. It attacked with unhinged ferocity. Clawd had looked into its eyes and saw the malice in them. It hadn't come to hunt, but to kill.

The Wolf knew he had to act, but he struggled to even move. He felt drained. His chest seared with bleeding lacerations. He felt his eyes threaten to close, and he cursed under his breath an instant before he lost consciousness.

-.-.-.-

Clawd awoke slowly, his limbs numb. His eyes remained shut as he sensed his surroundings. Unlike the unconditioned heat he had grown accustomed to, the air felt cool and there was no discernable scent—except that it was unfamiliar. He lay on his back; so comfortable he felt as if he was floating on a cloud. When he decided to open his eyes, he had to adjust to the light.

The artificial light.

He jolted upright. Somehow, he had ended up in the middle of what appeared to be a fairly large, modernized bedroom. There was a window to his right and a white wooden door across from him. He looked down where he was tucked beneath the covers of a full-sized bed, the blue and yellow blankets splayed out from his sides. Awe and befuddlement intermingled within Clawd as his eyes scanned the room.

Then the door opened.

The Wolf was wary to move, and not just because his body felt like lead. The door had swung open and hit the wall, and Clawd's fur stood on end in anticipation.

As if by magic, a silver tray hovered into the room. Clawd stared in astonishment as the floating object set itself down on the nightstand. On it was an assortment of snacks and a glass of water. But Clawd was still marveling the fact that the tray had transported itself into the room. Then the door began to close.

The werewolf's ears shot up in suspicion. "Who's there? A ghost?"

An exasperated sigh resonated from the threshold. "You know, I hoped that at least you could remember I never liked being called that."

"No way..."

"Yeah," Invisi Billy said while materializing. His old friend leaned confidently on the doorframe, dressed casually in a blue t-shirt, black pants, and a pair of boots; tufts of his cut, dark blue hair poked out from his gray beanie. He grinned. "It's good to see you."

"H-how?" Clawd faltered. "I thought..."

"You thought I was dead?" he finished. "I thought the same of you. And the others."

Clawd's expression morphed into concern. "The others? You mean Jinafire and Jane? They're here too?"

Invisi Billy nodded. "Uh huh. We noticed you guys in the woods nearby—it seemed pretty hectic so we had to check it out. You were lucky. We usually stay away because of the hellhound."

Clawd winced as he remembered the beast. "So that's what it was."

Invisi Billy gave a sympathetic, sidelong grin. "The woods are its territory," he said grimly.

"And we were trespassing." Clawd groaned. "How are Jane and Jin?"

The other waved him off. "They're fine. Just a couple scratches. I think you should be worrying about yourself. You were knocked out all night and this morning."

Clawd exhaled as he took in the information. The werewolf's eyes skimmed over his arms and torso, numb from pain and wrapped in bandages like a mummy. He grimaced, knowing the sting of his wounds would strike him soon. "It's just a couple scratches," he joked.

"Yeah right," another voice came from the hall, and Clawd caught an all-too-familiar scent. "It took forever to patch you up."

Clawd somehow managed to laugh when a white-furred werewolf stepped into the doorway. "You too?"

Romulus raised an eyebrow. His wardrobe hadn't changed much either. "Clawd, we've known each other since we were pups. You can do better than that."

The Wolf let out another laugh. "I just can't believe it! You're here and not smooshed by textbooks and Mr. Hack's jar of toenail clippings."

The other werewolf grinned. "I can say the same about you."

"How did we miss each other?"

"We were stuck in the school, actually," Invisi Billy informed simply. "We must've been in there a day or two before we finally got out."

Romulus ran a hand through his auburn hair. "Gigi helped out a lot, granting her mini-wishes."

"Gigi's here, too?"

"There's a few of us," he said. "Like you guys."

Clawd shook his head and beamed. "There's a lot of us. Me and the ghouls left them to check out the land."

"Really?" An awestruck smile spread onto Romulus' face. "Wow. That's great." He took a step sideways. "I'm gonna let the ghouls know you're okay. Be back in a sec."

The golden-eyed wolf sent him a nod before Romulus disappeared into the corridor.

"So," Invisi Billy drawled as he pulled away from the doorframe. "You said there are more of you?"

Clawd leaned back. "Yeah. And there should be even more by now."

Invisi Billy moved to stand at the front of the bed. His gray eyes faced the ground. "Is... Can you tell me if..." He grimaced before looking the Wolf head-on. "Is Scarah there?"

A relaxed sensation swept through Clawd, and he cracked a slight grin, excited to answer him. "Yeah," he replied softly. "She's there."

Invisi Billy's gaze once again fell to the floor, and he took a shaky breath. "How is she?"

"Well," Clawd said, trying to keep his tone lighthearted in an attempt to soothe his friend. "She'd be happy to see you."

He brought a bluish, white-skinned hand to his downturned face. "Good," he croaked. "Because, if she was with you, that means she's coming."

"What?"

"Gil," the other said. "Jinafire told him where to find you guys and Gil took the bus there. He sent each of us a text when he found them."

Clawd was baffled. "Gil's also not dead?"

Invisi Billy let out a short laugh. "Yep." When he looked up, his gray eyes were glassy.

"And a bus?" Clawd gestured about the room. "How do you guys even have all this? We've never heard you were around. Who's paying for it all?"

The blue-haired monster gave a wry grin. "We got a couple monsters providing for us. You know Catty Noir?"

The Wolf's jaw dropped open. "But she's actually out there! The whole monster world knows she's not dead."

Invisi Billy nodded. "Her exposure helps keep us hidden. She wasn't too big on making a comeback when the school got wrecked, but she did it for our sake. And the one running it all."

Clawd's eyebrows arched. "So who's in charge here?"

Invisi Billy chuckled and raised his arms in a teasing shrug. "Probably someone else you thought was dead!"

There came a sound of thumping footsteps, and Jinafire and Jane came rushing through the doorway with Romulus calmly trailing behind.

The dragon's worried, wide-eyed expression eased when she saw Clawd. "Thank goodness you're okay."

Both she and Jane moved to either side of the bed, and Clawd took the opportunity to flop back down onto it with an audible creak. He stared up at the ceiling. "Thanks for helping out, guys. I would've been a goner."

Jinafire's scaly hand pointed across the bed. "It was Jane who warded off the hellhound. She even sensed it, which is why we had to extinguish the fire." She glanced down at Clawd, her long green hair falling from her shoulders. "You were fortunate it listened to reason."

The werewolf looked at the ghoul on his left and sent her an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Jane."

A brief blush tinted her purple cheeks, and she gave a small smile. "I must admit, it was rather difficult to communicate with him. Every word he said was quite garbled." She shuddered slightly. "I've never encountered a beast like that before."

Clawd noticed her pick at a bandage beneath the white speckles of her eye. It must've scratched her. "I never want to see it again."

"I hope you don't mind, Clawd," Jinafire said, "but I told the monsters here where to find our group of friends."

"I know. Invisi Billy told me," Clawd said while craning his neck to gesture at the Invisible Man's son. He let himself get comfortable where he lay before listening to Jinafire continue.

"It's good we can avoid traveling back all that way," she said. "We wouldn't want you adding more to your injury."

Clawd scoffed good-naturedly. "I'm just glad I get to see them again."

Jinafire smiled in agreement. She noticed the tray of food on the nightstand, then moved away. "We should leave you to recover. Enjoy your meal."

The monsters gradually filed out the room, and Clawd's mouth stretched into a yawn. Fatigue overtook him and he closed his eyes, the tempting yet soothing smell of food from his bedside lulling him to sleep.


	31. Off Course

It was dark. Dark and dusty. Gigi remembered being trapped there for hours—maybe a whole day.

The same day the world fell apart.

She was happy to hear about the news of the others. Her thoughts wandered and soon she found herself reminiscing about her time stuck in the school, trapped between the heavy debris. Dust fell from the ruins like snow. She remembered crying out for help, her voice more hoarse with each futile strain of her vocal cords. Then she had quieted, relinquishing herself to defeat. She let her body go limp and give into the agonizing crushing.

It wasn't until Romulus had freed her that she was able to regain some form of hope. His werewolf senses had discovered her, and she was able to help the other monsters by granting wishes her power allowed.

But she couldn't help everyone. They left the school a day later, hastily filling their empty stomachs. If only they could have filled the void in their hearts.

Then, today, she found out some survived. She had witnessed many deaths the day the school fell, and she knew there were survivors living in the city, but some monsters didn't return to civilization. They had stayed off the grid, just like them.

There were only eight of them and they had managed to disappear completely. Except for Catty who had returned to former pop-stardom and strayed as far from Monster High and the city as possible. Her exposure had helped their small group remain undetected, and they were thankful. After the catastrophe that had befallen Monster High, the world was transformed. Humans no longer coexisted with monsters and the elder, more ancient, fantastical monsters had simply vanished from existence. The world was remade, and a younger generation of monsters took over.

Gigi and her seven companions didn't want to be a part of it. They wanted to observe; to watch from the sidelines. All they had wanted to know these past five years was the one who had done this. Who wrecked the world? But now it didn't matter to them. Now, they were just living, comfortable in the shadows.

The genie ran her long nails along the stairs' wooden railing. She sat on the last step, propping her chin up with her elbows on her knees. She stared at the door with a bubbling excitement, gleefully anticipating the arrival of the ones who had made it out of Monster High alive.

* * *

"There's nobody here, Clawdeen," Spectra said, gliding over to her friend. "How are we supposed to find them?"

"We just will, okay?" the she-wolf retorted, more harshly than she meant to. She slammed another wooden door in frustration. No one in there either, she thought bitterly. Clawdeen regretted walking into this particular building: it was completely wooden and lacked light. Usually, her werewolf senses won out, but this building reeked.

She opened another door. Another bedroom. Another empty bedroom. A vexed growl rumbled in Clawdeen's throat. What if she didn't find them? Then the drive here would've been for nothing. Venus' death would've been for nothing.

Clawdeen relayed the deceased ghoul's information to her closest friends at the palace: Spectra and Skelita. They had agreed to set out and find the rebel encampment alongside Clawdeen, and the Wolf was extremely grateful to have them by her side.

Spectra's glowing frame hovered beside her in the dim hallway. "If we don't find them here then there should be a way to..."

"A way to what?" Clawdeen asked after some silence. She looked over her shoulder. "Spectra? A way to what?"

The ghost grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I..." She nervously played with her fingers. "I think I lost Porter."

Clawdeen sighed, remembering that they had to bring the poltergeist along. Not that she didn't like him, he was just...

"Don't worry, I'm here." Porter's green form smoothly glided down to Spectra's side, a small spray can of ghost paint trailing behind him. The can stopped to float beside him, and he grinned. "This place is pretty dull."

Spectra raised an eyebrow. "So you were spray-painting their home?"

Porter shrugged shamelessly. "You know how I am—it's ghost paint. By the time they get back, it'll have disappeared."

The ghost playfully rolled her eyes as the other wrapped an arm around her waist. He gave Clawdeen a questioning look. "So what are we looking for again?"

The werewolf ghoul rubbed her temples. "Spectra, fill him in, please." Clawdeen took purposeful strides down the corridor and let the sunlight flood her vision. Skelita was making her way across the field from the pavilion.

"Find anything?" Clawdeen asked while approaching her.

The skeleton ghoul shook her head. "No. Sorry, Clawdeen."

The Wolf crossed her arms. "It's not your fault, Skelita. You know, Spectra was saying something earlier. If we can't find them then there should be a way to..?"

Skelita's expression was puzzled. "A way to find them? They probably left. This area doesn't appear to have been abandoned for long."

Clawdeen's lips pursed thoughtfully. "You're right about that. It's like they disappeared. There should be a way to track them." Raising her nose high, Clawdeen took a long whiff.

Gasoline, she thought at the distinct scent. They must've left on wheels.

She followed the smell until it became so strong, she coughed from disgust. The werewolf now found herself past a garden, in a patch of dirt sparsely littered with grass.

She knelt down. "There was some sort of vehicle here—a big one," she told Skelita.

The ghoul sighed. "Then how will we find them now?"

The werewolf squinted as she inspected the ground. She delicately brushed her fingers along the slight, unnatural grooves. "Tire tracks make it simple to find cars in cities, but you really gotta look to notice a trail on land like this."

Clawdeen rose from the ground and turned to head back to where she left the ghosts. A confident grin spread onto her face. "They should be easy to find."

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"Are you seriously asking that?"

"Sorry, I'm just a little... antsy."

Toralei rolled her eyes, unimpressed with my response. "Look at all of us. We've been in this world a lot longer than you have, and you go on and say you're 'antsy'?"

"Don't bother listening to her, Frankie." A glance over my shoulder let me see Cleo standing in the threshold. "I know where you're coming from."

She shot the werecat a nasty look before stepping into the room, guiding Deuce by the hand. The area was stuffed with monsters, and the couple made it almost suffocating. Luckily, they were the last ones.

When Gil had arrived at our camp, he said that Jinafire had given him directions to find us. Everyone was thrilled that Clawd and the others were safe, but Gil insisted on taking us because he wasn't in good shape. Nevertheless, Draculaura was ecstatic.

It wasn't likely we'd be able to fit onto one vehicle. But as it turned out, Gil drove a massive tour bus provided by Catty Noir. The bus was long and spacious, but it was still a tight squeeze. It was fairly luxurious, but everyone else seemed more interested in the fact that there was air conditioning.

We crammed into the back room, a bedroom with three sets of curtain-lined bunks on each wall. Some sat on the beds, whether on the edge or tucked deep into the wall. Toralei and the werecat twins lay on their stomachs on the top bunks while the rest of us filled up the spares. Abbey and Whisp sat on either side of me. Neither appeared comfortable. Cleo and Deuce barely strayed from the archway.

"Good. Everyone's here." Heath sat up. When he noticed the looks on our faces he let out a nervous laugh. "You think we'd be used to things moving quickly by now, but a bunch of stuff happened in less than a month. So..." He glanced around the room. "Thoughts?"

"Well, we're past the 'Cleo is Frankie' debacle," Scarah said from the bunk across from me. Relief radiated from her blank eyes. "It's a lot less to worry about."

"We found Ghoulia when we went to the school," Robecca said. "Hopefully Slo-Mo can help her..." The zombie decided not to join us and instead turn back to help Ghoulia calm her frazzled mind at Monster High.

"There was that party," Operetta addressed from the corner. Johnny Spirit hovered at her side, arms crossed and eyes closed as if he was tuning us all out.

Gory Fangtell let out a laugh from a nook on the bunk. "The party was fun. But we were steered off course."

"Off course to where?" Rochelle questioned. " _Excusez-_ moi, but where are we trying to go with this?"

"Take down the Queen," Venus said. "Remember?"

"But the Queen isn't responsible," Howleen said. She pointed in my direction. "Frankie told us Whisp is."

"So we execute the genie?" Bram sneered from Gory's side. The blond sent Whisp a sardonic glare, but it was clear she found the suggestion unnerving.

"She's only half responsible. Nefera is the one who put her up to it," Twyla said. "She's the one who's been masquerading as Frankie this whole time. She imprisoned Whisp by turning her magic against her."

Iris had her eye closed as she nodded repeatedly. "I don't think we should hold this against Whisp."

"Do not think you should be talking in front of ghoul either," Abbey muttered under her breath.

"I totally agree," Draculaura interjected, not having heard Abbey. "But now we know what caused this. What do we do now?"

Jackson hesitated to speak. "Mission accomplished?"

"Mission not accomplished," Lagoona said, getting onto her feet. "If Nefera was behind all this, then we can't just sit here. We may have discovered the truth of this messed-up world but no one else has. There are monsters all over the world who still don't understand why the normies left or why their parents and mentors have disappeared. They don't deserve to be in the dark like this."

"Here's the thing," Deuce sighed. His blind, reptilian eyes didn't bother to blink. "Most of us don't have any actual identities in this world. Ones that aren't labeled dead, anyway."

"Just make new ones," Meowlody and Purrsephone said in unison.

Honey narrowed her green eyes at them. "I don't understand the problem with stayin' secret. Who says you gotta have an identity to get done what needs to be done?"

Gory looked appalled. "That's big talk for someone who has an identity."

The pink snakes in Viperine's platinum hair hissed. "Don't forget that monsters like us left our lives behind to help all of you. I did this to stop the Queen. But what are we doing now? Running away?"

"No." I froze when everyone faced me. After what felt like hours of silence, I let out a breath. "We're not running. At least, not away. Right now, we're just going to see our friends."

I braced myself, anticipating someone to counter my statement, but no one did. So I continued, "What happened is important, but it's not something we need to focus on. If we're going to take steps against Nefera, we worry about it later, not now. In fact, if we should be focusing on anything right now it's that we left Venus behind at the palace and she's probably not coming back."

Each set of eyes darted away instantly. It was like a bomb fell and blasted away everyone's voice. The only sound was the rhythmic thump of the treading bus. Venus decided to stay behind with Nefera and Valentine. I shuddered. How could Venus handle herself against Valentine?

A loud sigh broke the silence. The bunk shifted, and Holt slid off. "I'm going to ask if there's a radio."

He left the room, and the monsters seemed to take it as their cue to disperse as if the conversation had never happened.

Abbey let out a huff. She crossed her arms. "Did not think it was polite to talk about Whisp like not sitting in front of faces."

"It's fine," Whisp said. She wouldn't look up. "It doesn't matter. You can go ahead, Frankie." Her eyes remained glued to the floor. "I'll be here."

I glanced up, the werecats' tails swaying out the curtains of top bunks. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I could use a nap."

I looked to Abbey, and she shrugged. "Okay..."

I reluctantly rose and followed Abbey out from under the archway. The next part of the tour bus consisted of a mini kitchen and a small dining area across from it. Proceeding it were two long black couches, where the monsters lounged beneath blind-covered windows.

I backtracked to the restroom. I had just recently been placed back in my body, and I was excited to see myself. When my eyes landed on the mirror, I cringed. The ghoul staring back at me looked nothing like the ghoul I knew. Nefera had hidden her face. The last time I had seen my face like this was when I was trapped in Cleo's body with amnesia, and I was captured and brought to the Queen. I didn't have her jewelry or her updo or crown, but I didn't like what I saw.

I looked exactly like her.

I forcefully scrubbed my face with a damp towel until it was stained green and blue with makeup. I gingerly ran a finger along the exposed stitches. If I rubbed any harder, they would've come undone. I undid the braid Nefera had left me in. If only I could change out of the nightgown. Fortunately, its short length and thin straps allowed me to notice the makeup hiding my other stitches. An exasperated sigh fell from my lips, and I resumed scrubbing at myself.

After a thorough cleansing, I plopped down onto the toilet seat. Thank ghoul Nefera hadn't painted my nails. Glancing back to the mirror, I was somewhat surprised by what I saw. My face was recognizable but bare; completely devoid of any lipstick, eyeshadow, or mascara. My hair hung past my shoulders in a wavy mess of black and white. I looked wild yet calm and natural. There were no traces of Nefera left. Or even who I was at Monster High.

Rising to my feet, I took a closer look, glad that Nefera hadn't gone to bed with the colored contact she had worn over my green eye. Unfortunately, my neck bolts were gold and not their original silver. Paint would have to cover them. I didn't think I had developed over the years like the other monsters but, when I skimmed over the rest of my body, it turned out I did. And for the first time in my short life, I felt self-conscious.

I was bound to spend the rest of the ride in the restroom until a knock made me jump. I set the towel beside the sink and slid open the door. Lagoona seemed surprised to see me. Then she smiled.

"Nice look, Frankie. It suits you."

I pushed back some of my hair. "Thanks. How are things with Gil?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Well, I can't say it's not good to see him but..."

"But what?"

The sea ghoul frowned. "He's been hiding all these years. Shouldn't I be angry?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Are you?"

She sighed. "No. I guess that answers my question, doesn't it?"

Lagoona grinned and I smiled back. I moved to let her into the restroom when another thought occurred to me. "Hey, Lagoona?"

The door was closed midway. "Yeah?"

"How come we met in the bedroom and not here?" I pointed at the couches everyone sat on; not smooshed.

Her green eyes rolled. "Does 'Heath's idea' count as a reasonable explanation?"

A grimace creased my lips. "Yeah. It does." The door began to close again, but I stopped her. "Do you know how long the ride will be?"

"Gil said about a day." Lagoona shut the door before I could say anything else.

Taking in the information, I sat on the edge of the couch. My eyes scanned over the group. Stuck on a moving vehicle with these monsters? It felt like the start of a crazy adventure, just like in high school.

If only I had the chance to finish it.


	32. Exposure

Sunlight threatened to peek through the heavy drapes. It was another day, and her world had fallen apart once more.

Nefera shoved her face into her pillow and let out another scream. This wasn't how it should've happened. It was supposed to be perfect. She rose her head back to the curtains where a large potted plant stood; it's petals no more than a bud. Nefera stared at it until her rage boiled over.

"WAKE UP!" She threw everything she could grab at the plant. "Damn you! Damn you! DAMN YOU!"

A knock sounded, and she begrudgingly sat up. "What?" she said flatly.

"Uh, your majesty," came a timid voice behind the elaborate door, "are you alright?"

"No," Nefera snapped. "I'm not." She didn't recognize the voice, so it had to be one of the servants. She let out a grunt. There was no way she'd spend valuable time talking to a servant, no matter how desperately she wanted to speak to someone. She took another glance at the plant and sighed. Amanita wasn't waking up anytime soon.

Nefera sat up and combed her bedhead with her fingers. "Get the head of the Law Enforcement Unit here as soon as you can."

"Y-yes, your majesty. Is there anything you'd like me to tell him?"

Nefera slid off the bed. "Just that he needs to hurry." She heard the scuttling of footsteps and smirked.

She moved to her mirror and marveled at her reflection. No green skin, bi-colored eyes, or awful stitches marred her glorious innate beauty.

Another knock startled her, but Nefera was quick to recompose herself. "Enter."

The opulent door heavily opened. "Your majesty?"

Nefera rushed to the entrance. The voice was hoarse. She didn't recognize it. Mustering up all her strength, she slammed the door shut. "Who are you? I asked for Valentine."

There was a pause until the voice croaked out, "Yes. I'm the one in charge..." He let out a cough. "Are you going to let me in or not?"

Panic rose in Nefera's chest. Should she ignore him? Or let him in on her secret and tell him who she really was?

"Hello?" He called, his voice muffled. "Frankie?"

Nefera sighed, knowing she couldn't do this alone. She had to confide in someone. The head of the Law Enforcement Unit was the best option. She released her hold on the door, and Valentine cautiously let himself in.

His eyebrows arched when he saw her. "Well, you're not the Queen."

"Ha!" Nefera scoffed. "You have the gall to look at me like that when you appear to have died twice over."

The vampire's face was gaunt and his skin lacked any pink previously there. He could easily be mistaken for a zombie.

Nefera turned her back on him. "I'm just not Frankie. I never was. I switched bodies with her, and now I'm in my rightful form. Now," she pivoted to face him, "why on Earth do you look like that?"

Valentine looked down. "I had a run in with the plant ghoul we put in the dungeon... I tried drinking from her, but her blood was poisoned. As you can see," he held his arms out, his frame now thin and sickly, "I have not fully recovered."

"Is she alive?"

"No." He glared at her. "You would know that if you kept up with the documentation we put together." He took a step toward her. "It's the least you can do..." he paused, "...darling."

Nefera rolled her eyes. "I have monsters like you for a reason, Valentine."

Valentine sighed. "I'm not surprised that you were never Frankie. There was no way that ghoul could become someone like, well, you." His dry lips morphed into a smirk and he stalked past her, arms behind his back. "I bet you were thinking it was smart of you to use her body the way you did. Everyone liked her. It's unlikely anyone would turn against her." He sat on the enormous bed in the center, his black uniform contrasting greatly with the white and gold silk. "Am I wrong?"

"It doesn't matter," Nefera sneered. "I deserve to be queen."

He chuckled. "Is that what you've been telling yourself? You had the ghoul's body and you could've done anything. You had the power to rule over this city, but you did nothing. Sure, it was only like a mayor but—"

"There's no power above me," Nefera countered. "I'm more than a measly mayor."

"That's not what the official documentation says," he said under his breath.

Nefera's fists clenched at her sides.

Valentine looked exasperated. "What was the point? Who even are you?"

Nefera stilled. A second later, her eyes filled with malice. "Who am I? I am Nefera de Nile and I am your queen! Can't you get it through your head? You do what I say!"

The ghastly vampire held up his hands reflexively, then lowered them. His brows furrowed together. "De Nile... Like, Cleo de Nile?"

She bit her tongue at the mention of Cleo. "Yes. She's my little sister."

"Oh. You must hate her."

"What makes you say that?"

"Darlin', you sent her to the dungeon so she could die."

Nefera was about to say that it was Frankie, not her sister, but instead, she shook her head and dismissed the thought.

"If I had a sister," Valentine continued, "hell, brother even, I wouldn't..." He stared past Nefera, his eyes carrying a sense of grief. Or was it guilt? Maybe it was both. Nefera didn't care.

"Snap out of it and help me."

His gaze turned her way and she was almost struck with the intensity of it.

Valentine was in pain.

It had been years since Nefera had seen him with an expression remotely resembling this. In the beginning, when everything fell apart, Valentine was there to help. Whisp, on the other hand, became useless; the genie drove herself insane with guilt. So they locked her away, nothing left for Whisp but to relive a fantasy. Nefera didn't show any concern, but Valentine did. The two seemed to have been friends once.

Nefera was left with Valentine, who suggested using the amulets to build the palace and construct a massive city. A city of every monster's dream. But, more importantly, a city in which Nefera ruled. Imprisoned in Frankie Stein's body, Nefera played the part up until the point she couldn't and retreated to solitude. She ruled for a couple months, and then he took over at her request. Valentine didn't seem to mind.

They weren't friends; Nefera was repulsed at the mere thought of it. Even so, through his work and perseverance, Nefera began to believe that maybe what she had done wasn't such as bad thing. Blackmailing a witch, cursing her sister, separating the human world from the monster world, tricking monsters into believing she was someone else; causing the destruction of Monster High...

There was no Frankie to hide behind. How would she deal with her guilt now?

Valentine let out a huff and sat up. "I'm leaving."

"Wait." Nefera strode up to him. "I told you to help me."

He closed his eyes in annoyance. "Alright."

The mummy ghoul smiled. "Now..." She pointed a finger at his chest. "What. Should. I. Do?"

"You haven't done anything these past five years but sit on your throne and hide in your room. How do you think you can move past," he gestured at her, "this? Especially when you're not Frankie anymore?"

She wanted to bite back; lash out at him, but he was right. And Nefera hated being wrong. "Look," she said sternly, her expression morphing into a harsh scowl. "I'm the rightful ruler of this city no matter what you've done before. Look at yourself! You can barely hear the pathetic southern accent in you! I have to lead. I have to be the queen I was destined to be—born to be; not some puppet in another ghoul's body."

Valentine didn't say anything at first, then tilted his head to the side. "How?"

Nefera glared at him a split second before looking down. Her eyelids squeezed together. She was frustrated not only at Valentine's incessant questions but also at herself. She knew what she had to do. "I will need your help," she said through gritted teeth. "And everyone else in the palace."

After some time, the vampire let out a sigh. "If you want our help, you know what that's going to require, right?"

Nefera wouldn't meet his eyes. "Yes."

* * *

A brisk touch to my shoulder jolted me awake. "Abbey?" The Yeti ghoul loomed over the bunk. The silence was overwhelming. "Where is everyone?"

"Already off bus," she said, moving toward the exit. "We're here."

I flung the sheets off and snatched my knapsack from the bedside. Curiosity prickled at my skin. Our group had resided in an old camp away from the city, and even they weren't concealed from Nefera's lackeys. What had kept these monsters hidden?

Soft grass met my bare feet when I stepped off the bus. It was so lush, my skin looked dull in comparison. Keeping my eyes on the ground, I took careful steps forward until I caught sight of Abbey's icy hue.

The feel of my feet sweeping across the grass made me giddy. "Can you believe how green this is?" I glanced back at the ground, then back up. My mouth went dry.

A massive, gothic building towered directly in front of us. The landscaping surrounding it only added to its daunting form. It was like a something out of a magazine. I blinked repeatedly. This was real.

"A mansion?" Heath exclaimed. He turned to Gil, wide-eyed. "You've been living in a mansion?"

Gil grinned sheepishly. "Yeah... Let me show you guys around."

After a sharing of tentative glances, we followed Gil past the fence: tall, interlaced iron spikes surrounding the entire mansion. The cobblestone path leading in was long and wide; black rose bushes decorated the porch side. Unlike the building itself, the front door was unassuming, as if it was the entrance to a home in the suburbs.

There was sudden tenseness amongst us when it opened, but it dissipated like smoke when a friendly face poked her head out.

Gigi's blue eyes gleamed. Her mouth was opened as if she was trying to say something, but all that came out were sputters. "I can't believe you're here," she spewed out, opening the door wide.

The rest seemed just as stunned, yet took the genie's invitation regardless. Some monsters pummeled her with questions and cries of relief like they had Gil. Finally, she raised her arms and smiled. "I'm just happy to see you."

Then she looked past the heads, and her eyes caught mine. "Frankie?"

I was still at the door. Why hadn't I approached Gigi, my friend, as the others had? My body belonged to me now, why didn't I behave like I had before I was swapped out of it? It was like I was hiding a secret; like I was still trapped in Cleo's body, pretending to be someone else. Except, this time, I wasn't pretending.

Gigi swam through the crowd, hesitantly stepping toward me until Gil leaned down and mumbled something into her ear. The genie's coral lips morphed into a gentle smile, and I was soon wrapped in a hug.

"It's great to see you," she said as she retracted herself. "But, according to Gil, you have some explaining to do."

I smiled. "Yeah."

"What are you doing in a nightgown anyway?" Gigi teased. There was excitement in her voice, "Let me show the ghouls to their rooms! Do you think you can show the guys to theirs, Gil?"

He gave her a quick nod and beckoned them to follow as he proceeded down a hallway. Deuce still held onto Cleo's hand and promised to lead him to his room later. The foyer was spacious and accented with small decorations and a curved, gothic-style staircase lay at its center. The boys went to the hall on the right, which obviously led to a series of rooms. There was another hall to the left, and by the smell wafting out, I could only assume it led to the kitchen.

Gigi scampered up the stairs. "Come on!"

We followed her through what seemed like a labyrinth, turning at every corner and stopping at each lavish room set aside for entertainment. Finally, we made it to our hall.

Gigi looked over her shoulder. "Do you mind if I ask you guys for a wish?" Her expression turned wary. "Preferably not from Toralei."

"Sure, love," Lagoona said. "What do you need?"

The genie shrugged. "Just that the doors in this hall would open. It'd make it easier for you ghouls to decide on rooms."

Lagoona complied, and Gigi clasped her palms together. Each door swung open with a loud thud. Gigi grinned. "Go ahead and take a look."

We had hardly inched forward when one of the doors abruptly slammed shut. A few of the ghouls jumped.

Iris charily pointed a finger at the door. "Um, what was that?"

Gigi cringed. "It must be Wydowna..." she admitted sheepishly. "She's probably in the middle of a comic or TV show or something... She doesn't like being interrupted when something important happens..."

A loud gasp resonated from the spider ghoul's room, and soon we could her panicky voice. "No! No, no, no..."

Gigi gave a nervous laugh. "Yep, definitely something important. You might want to keep your voices down for now."

"So which ones do we avoid?" Operetta asked, tugging her city-brought suitcase along as she meandered down the hall. "Some of these are yours, right?"

"Only the rooms up front, like Wydowna's," Gigi informed. She pointed her thumb to her side. "This one's mine and the next two have been taken by Jinafire and Jane."

"What about the ones across?" Rochelle asked, casting her pink-eyes to the two doors beside Wydowna's.

The genie unsuccessfully hid a grin. "You'll see those ghouls at dinner." She stifled a giggle. "Anyway, I'll leave you ghouls to it. See you at dinner."

I watched as she disappeared out the hallway, the ghouls already peeking into the rooms. Some looked excited, like Iris, Robecca, Rochelle, and Honey, scurrying into the first room they saw. Others, like Operetta, Gory, Toralei, and even Howleen, seemed pickier about their choices and grunted dismissively until settling on one. Cleo clearly wanted to get the best room, and poor Deuce was dragged behind her as she skirted past doorways. The werecat twins took rooms next to one another; Viperine took one with a vanity, opening her suitcase and reapplying her makeup. The rest of us glanced about the rooms carefully. Twyla settled on one's whose bedsheets and drapes had a purplish hue, Scarah took a green-themed room, and Lagoona decided on one with a spectacular view. That left me with Abbey, Whisp, and...

Draculaura placed a hand on my arm. "I'm going to check on Clawd. The pink room's mine!"

I couldn't get a word out before a dark glow emanated from her skin, and a bat poofed in her place, madly flapping its wings down the corridor.

"Must be convenient," Whisp said. "I wish I could turn into a bat and fly away."

Abbey seemed unfazed by her solemn remark. "Where have you been? Gigi was just here. Are you not wanting to see her?"

Whisp looked down. "Maybe later."

The Yeti ghoul sighed. "If you are sure." Then she walked into a completely white room. She probably decided on it because it reminded her of home, but I felt that it wouldn't do the trick unless it had some intense air conditioning.

Whisp and I continued down the hall, making sure to avoid the pink room Draculaura had claimed. I found myself stopping at the threshold of a simple, black and white themed room with baby blue walls. It was comforting to look at, even though it lacked in color. Then I realized Whisp was still trailing down the hall; she walked with her head hung. I raced to her side, hoping the company would relieve her. If she knew I was there, she didn't show it and the silence ensued.

Eventually, we halted, and the pink-skinned genie let out a long sigh. "I wish I could face her."

"Who?" I asked. "Gigi?"

Whisp nodded. "She's my sister, right? I should be happy to see her. But all I can think about is," she hesitated, "my finder."

I paused. "Valentine?"

She took a step back and sighed, not looking me in the eyes. Then a door shut in my face. Whisp had found her room, and something told me she was going to skip dinner.

With a resigned exhale, I hastened to mine. A checkered full-sized bed rested in the center, a black nightstand on one side and a white one on the other. A large white dresser lay on the left portion of the room with a door I presumed was the closet beside it. But on the opposite wall was another door... I shrugged my knapsack onto the bed and turned the knob. A bathroom—shower, bathtub, and all—greeted my vision. A surge of glee ran through me. Were all the bedrooms like this?

"Frankie!" Cleo's anxious voice came from the hall. My hand was still on the doorknob when she scrambled into my room, still hand in hand with Deuce. "Look in your closet!"

"What is it?" I asked.

"Just look!" She gestured frantically to the door across from me.

"Oh-kay..." I made a move for the closet, but apparently, Cleo thought I was too slow and took it upon herself to fling it open. I gasped. "Wow..."

Hanging from within the closet were long, gorgeous, intricately-designed gowns. Below them were shoes ranging from sneakers to flashy pumps. But I was taken away by the dresses. "Cleo, this is amazing!"

Her brows furrowed when she glanced back at me. "You think so?" Cleo put a hand on her waist. "The ones in my room looked better."

"Cleo thinks we should have a party," Deuce said, abandoned at the entrance. He stomped forward, clearly trying to get his ghoulfriend's attention until she finally returned to his side and got a hold of his hand.

"These gowns are to die for, Frankie," Cleo squealed. "We can't just let them hang there! Not when they have me to wear them!"

I laughed. "You're right." I ran a hand along one of the gowns. Red. Silky. My fingers stilled. "But... do they really expect us to wear only these?"

Cleo's cyan eyes rolled. "The casual clothing is in the dresser. But those don't matter nearly as much as the party gowns!" She let out another squeal, then her gaze turned frightfully serious. "You have to be with me on this."

I raised my hands, surrendering. "Yes, okay, Cleo, I am. One-hundred percent."

"Fangtastic!" Cleo sang. "I can't wait to tell everyone at dinner! See you later, Frankie!" She proceeded to prance out the room, chiding Deuce about the suits they had to have in his closet and whether or not it would match her favorite of the gowns.

A giggle fell from my mouth. Cleo was right. A party would be fun. And a formal one like she was suggesting? I brushed my finger along the gown again and flinched when the touch shocked me. The idea had me sparking at the bolts.

-.-.-.-

It wasn't difficult to find where dinner was held. We followed the smell of food downstairs to an enormous gourmet kitchen; a glance ahead leading us to the dining room. The seats flanking the long, mahogany table were promptly filled. A crystal chandelier hung above. Everyone sat down stiffly, and I could tell they felt out of place. Our outfits looked like rags in the grandeur of the mansion. How did they afford all this? Catty couldn't have spent everything on such a small group of monsters.

"Welcome everyone!" a low, female voice sounded. "It's such a relief to see you all!"

A petite figure strolled to the head of the table, and Draculaura leaped out of her seat. "Elissabat!" In an instant, she tackled the other vampire in a hug.

Elissabat's lavender eyes were wide with surprise before she returned the gesture. Another chair was loudly thrust aside, and Viperine was on her feet to greet her old friend.

Elissabat looked overwhelmed. Her words tumbled out between laughs, "Ghouls, it's great to see you but, please, sit down." The two reluctantly obeyed, but Elissabat failed to wipe the smile off her face. "Now, I'm sure you all are wondering—"

"Why a mansion?" Heath cut in. He leaned back in his chair. "It's a bit much, don't you think?"

The vampire's lips upturned slightly. "This mansion has belonged to the vampire queen for centuries. It's a last resort, like a safe house." She glanced around. "...ish. Before the monster and human worlds were separated five years ago, this mansion was in the middle of a prestigious human neighborhood, away from prying monster eyes and ears. It's remodeled and updated whenever a new queen takes over because, whether she wants it to or not, it has to befit the times."

Heath raised a finger. "That didn't answer my—"

"The mansion isn't just for the queen," Elissabat said sharply. "At least, not when I had it remodeled. I made sure to have rooms for all the servants. Of corpse now it... It doesn't matter, does it? Not since all the elder monsters vanished."

Heath's lips turned into an awkward thin line, having received more than what he had asked for. The room was silent for a moment. I glanced about. No one besides Draculaura and Viperine had been ecstatic over Elissabat's appearance. The other monsters didn't even seem too surprised.

She sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I..." She clapped her hands together. "I'm sure you're all wondering how we've survived the fall of Monster High." Elissabat swept her pale, pink-hued hand to the left. "Romulus can fill you in."

An almost-white gray werewolf with auburn hair stepped in from the archway leading to the kitchen. Romulus? I've heard of him a few times from Draculaura... Clawd's friend. Bram shifted uncomfortably in his seat while Gory glared daggers at the newcomer. Romulus chuckled. "I'd prefer to give them the short version."

His dark green eyes landed on the vampire couple, and he grinned slyly before focusing on the rest of us. "Unlike you guys, we didn't make it out the day the school fell. We were trapped under it. I was one of the luckier ones, but some monsters were stuck in the rubble." He looked at Gigi, who was seated near the head of the table. "I found Gigi first, and my wishes helped free everyone else who... survived." He cleared his throat. "It took a while to get out—maybe a day or two. Nine of us survived. There are seven of us here now. Catty's on tour, and Skelita went to Hexico."

"Skelita?" Jinafire sat straight up in her seat, her clawed hands stiffening on the table. "You didn't tell me she was one of you."

"She's not," Romulus said. "She went to her family as soon as we got out of Monster High."

Howleen was hesitant to speak from across the room. "Why aren't you with yours?"

He beamed when saw the youngest Wolf. "My sisters are living in the city. They're happy but... We have things to do here."

Her amber eyes wouldn't meet his gaze. "Do they know you're alive?"

He didn't hesitate. "They will."

I heard Lagoona say under her breath, "If I had the chance, I'd visit my siblings down under..."

"Wait," Gigi said suddenly. "Things to do?" she asked Romulus. "I thought we gave up on that."

Elissabat shot her a warning glance. "We'll talk later, Gigi."

The genie looked to her lap with a small pout. What could they be talking about? A few monsters opened their mouths, ready to question them when someone barged in.

" _Au revoir_ everyone! Tonight I leave for Scaris. I hope— _Mon Dieu_! I didn't know we had guests." The sight of the white-furred werecat made me grin.

"Catrine?" Rochelle said warily. "You're leaving for Scaris?"

Her light blue cat-eyes widened. "Rochelle!" She made a dash for the other French ghoul. "You're... Completely out of season."

The gargoyle laughed. " _Oui_ , I suppose I am. But... you said you were going to Scaris."

Catrine nodded, her mauve-colored hair bobbing at her shoulders. "Tonight."

Rochelle twiddled with her pastel strands of hair. "You don't think... Perhaps that maybe I could... come along..." Her stone wings twitched in anticipation.

"Well..." Catrine glanced over her shoulder to Elissabat, who gave a quick nod. "I don't see why not. We're going to Scaris!"

"Really?" Rochelle's eyes seemed to light up the dim room. " _Merci_ Catrine, I cannot tell you how much this means to me! You see, I haven't... I haven't seen Garrott in years."

At the mention of the ghoul's boyfriend, Catrine placed a reassuring hand on Rochelle's shoulder. "And now you will."

Rochelle eagerly rose. "When does your flight leave?"

Catrine grabbed her wrist. "I have to leave now. Let's go!"

Startled by the abruptness of it all, Rochelle hastily plastered on a smile as she waved goodbye. A chorus of farewells followed her. She was almost dragged out under the archway when Catrine reeled back, her ears flattened to her head in pain.

Confusion creased Rochelle's brows. "Catrine?"

She hissed, " _Mon Dieu_ , Invisi Billy. Don't do that."

"Sorry." The monster materialized in the space in front of the two ghouls. He stood well over a head taller than both of them, even Catrine in her pumps. "I couldn't let Rochelle leave without saying goodbye."

The gargoyle raised a hand to her mouth, expressing the emotions radiating across the room. Invisi Billy had made it out. Like the other monsters here, his style hadn't changed much; the only thing notably different was his shorter hair, dark blue tufts of it escaping from the top of his beanie. He held out his arms, a grin on his bluish, white-skinned face. His gray eyes gleamed. Rochelle reached out and hugged him until Catrine tapped her shoulder, and she tore away. She glanced back at us, her pink eyes glassy. " _Au revoir_."

The next thing I knew, I was out of my seat and moving around the table to her side. I pulled the gargoyle into a hug. Though it'd been five years—longer than I've known Rochelle—she was my friend before, why shouldn't I treat her as one now? "Goodbye, Rochelle."

It took a moment for her stone body to relax, and she returned the hug. "Goodbye, Frankie."

A spark flew off my bolts when another pair of arms encircled us, but before I could decipher whose a sudden warmth overcame me as more joined in. There was a brush of scales, fur, and a rainbow of skin tones—all surrounding us as we hugged goodbye. But at that moment, it didn't feel like goodbye. All of us, together, a cluttered mesh of bodies embracing one another on either side of an archway in a gothic mansion... That moment felt more familiar to me than anything in this strange world, but at the same time it was so breathtakingly new I didn't want it to end.

At that moment, I didn't think it would.

-.-.-.-

Dinner was an experience. It wasn't the food, which paled in comparison to Deuce's cooking, but the company. The area accelerated in volume as we stuffed our faces.

First, Cleo and I explained ourselves to the other monsters, and how the whole body-swap went down with Nefera. They were all relieved I was never the Queen to begin with. Unfortunately, Clawd was the only one uninvolved but, luckily, Draculaura promised to relay the information. Elissabat took the news steadily, her expression unreadable when I told her Nefera had started the events that led to Monster High's destruction. I left out Whisp. She would have to tell them herself. But from then on, the mood brightened.

Invisi Billy had reunited with Scarah, whose blank eyes were still filled to the brim with tears. They paid more attention to each other than their food—or anyone else, much to Operetta and Johnny's displeasure, who wanted nothing more than to talk to their banshee friend. Gory and Bram also focused on one another, occasionally tossing a snarky remark at almost everything they'd overhear.

Draculaura fainted twice at the sight of bloody meat, and Heath burned his meal but was forced to eat the charred bits regardless. When Toralei finished eating her fish, she flicked the eyeballs into other plates while the twins meowed in approval. Twyla sank into the shadows for almost the entire meal, making Howleen look like she was talking to herself. She decided to catch up with Romulus when she realized how silly she looked.

Jackson took hesitant bites of his food at first, then pushed the plate across the table to Holt, who ate it without a second thought. He'd eat it with his fingers, though, since he accidentally melted the silverware. Cleo constantly rattled on to Deuce about how she'd rather be eating his cooking. Viperine and Honey were catching up with Elissabat, who had been with Draculaura until she dismissed herself to check on Clawd.

Every now and then, we'd be involved in one enormous conversation and laughter would bounce off the walls. Lagoona had her chair against Gil's and Robecca chatted absentmindedly to Jane. Iris and Gigi seemed to be catching up while Jinafire was asking me questions, Abbey throwing in blunt responses before I got a chance to answer.

Put simply, it was amazing. And no wild adventure, no hijinks or pranks or monster hysteria leading to a rousing speech could top this.

Then the doorbell rang. Nothing but a faint, echoing sound in the rowdy atmosphere.

I expected the energy carry on; for someone to get up and simply answer the door but, instead, it gradually became quiet. Elissabat was frozen mid-sentence.

Honey's pointed teeth formed a grimace. "Elissabat, hun?"

The vampire blinked. "I-I'm sorry I..." She glanced over at Romulus. "Did you hear that?"

He nodded slowly, already ignoring Howleen's incessant ramblings. "It can't be Catty. She wouldn't use the doorbell. No one would."

"What's the big deal?" Toralei interjected—somehow she had ended up sprawled out on top of the table. "The doorbell rang. Go answer it."

"I don't think you get it," Invisi Billy said, having pried away from his ghoulfriend. "Nobody who knows about this place would use the doorbell. In fact, it's not even supposed to work."

"I didn't even know we had a doorbell," Gigi muttered.

"I'll get it," Wydowna said as she stood up from her chair, four of her arms prepped to scuttle up the walls while the other two put her scarlet-red hair up.

"No," Elissabat said sternly. Her gaze landed on Invisi Billy. "You should go. Stay invisible."

"Got it." With a curt nod, Invisi Billy vanished from sight.

After making sure no one was looking, I did too. He was invisible, but I followed the best I could, ducking behind furniture and potted plants in case he looked back. When we made it to the foyer, I distanced myself from the front door, yet a bunch of voices caught in my ears.

"Why would you ring the doorbell? We don't even know if this is the place."

"You followed the tracks to this bus, which happens to be parked in front of this building. And there's a doorbell so why not?"

"You don't just ring the doorbells of buildings in the middle of nowhere!"

"Don't be so harsh on him, Clawdeen. He's just trying to help."

"Come on, Spectra, he's—"

I darted forward at the sound of their names.

Invisi Billy materialized at the doorframe. "Wait!"

But I already had my hand on the knob, and I wrenched the door open.


	33. New Scars

**A/N:** AHHHHHHH it's been so long! Anyway, enjoy this chapter! And if you have any comments, always feel free to leave a review!

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"Clawdeen!"

I wrapped my arms around the first monster I collided with. Then my arms fell limp in front of me, holding nothing but air. Clawdeen was to my left, golden eyes bright and lips pressed tight.

Spectra was hovering a few feet above when a green glow joined her. He was a ghost with verdant, windswept locks and the same bright blue eyes as Spectra, his sclera a deep green instead of purple.

He gave me a sheepish grin. "Sorry, but I'm taken."

My neck bolts sparked and my cheeks warmed. "Right. Ha. Didn't mean it like that. I just got..." I shared a glance with the werewolf beside me. "Excited."

She gave a fanged smile. "It's great to see you again, Frankie."

This time I got my hug with Clawdeen instead of the vaguely familiar ghost boy. Past the Wolf's mass of tawny hair, I saw the tiny, boney frame of Skelita, brown eyes sparkling on her painted face.

"It's really you?" she exclaimed softly.

I grinned over Clawdeen's shoulder and gently pulled away. "Yep. I'm so glad to see you." There was a light rattle of chains when Spectra drifted to my side. I beamed. "All of you. And I bet Invi—" One glance to the opened door and I cut myself short. Invisi Billy disappeared. But my elation faltered for only a moment. I started to lead them in. "Everyone else should be glad to see you, too.''

"Wait." Invisi Billy's dark blue, beanie-adorned head was first to materialize. He blocked the entrance. "How do we know we can trust them?"

My brows furrowed. "They're my friends," I deadpanned. "And didn't Romulus say that Skelita was with you when you escaped?"

Clawdeen's eyes lit up. "Romulus?"

"Skelita was with us, but they weren't," Invisi Billy said, gray eyes narrowing.

"But—" I was shoved aside. Clawdeen lead the charge to hug Invisi Billy with Spectra and Skelita at her heels.

His eyes widened and he took a step back, but the smile on his easing face showed that he was giving in. "I can't speak for the others, but I'm happy to see you." He beckoned them into the foyer.

I noticed the green ghost floating at a distance. I waved. "Hi! I'm Frankie." I held out my hand.

He grinned and gave my hand a quick shake. "Porter."

I smiled back. "Nice to meet you, Porter." I pursed my lips when I noticed his outfit. It was gray like pavement and splattered with blotches of colorful paint. His chains holstered a couple of spray cans.

Porter caught my gaze. "You like the outfit?"

I found myself nodding vigorously. "It's very... creative." I internally scolded myself. He totally thought I was lying. "Sorry, I've never been an artsy kind of ghoul."

He laughed. "Yeah, I know. The ghouls had a lot to say about you."

"Have we met?" I asked. "You seem familiar."

Porter shrugged. "Not officially. There was a party at Monster High after what happened in the Ghost World few years back. I think I saw you and a couple others talking to Vandala, but I was with Spectra."

I giggled at the mention of the pirate ghost, then looked ahead to Spectra, her pale skin a sharp contrast with Invisi Billy's blue-tinted white. Porter was fixed on the willowy, violet-haired ghost, and I remembered his words from earlier. "You're Spectra's boyfriend?"

He looked at me and smirked. "Yeah. And she's my ghoulfriend." He sent me a wink before gliding over to Spectra, dragging her away from the conversation and leaving Clawdeen and Skelita to catch up with Invisi Billy. Spectra giggled and they hovered up to the tall ceiling.

I hastened my way to Clawdeen. "How did you know it was me and not the Queen? Not Nefera?"

Clawdeen's face fell. "Venus told me."

A spark flew off my bolts. "Venus? That's great! How is she?"

She paused. "She—"

"This is all your fault," a voice came from the left wing. A second later Holt rushed into the foyer, Jackson following close behind.

He sighed. "I didn't ask you to eat it."

A scowl formed on Holt's blue face. "Not my fault all you can choke down is normie food. Thanks to you, I'm gonna be hurling chunks any minute."

Skelita gasped. " _¡Hijole!_ They... I thought they were one person."

Clawdeen's jaw was on the floor.

Spectra floated down and sighed. "This would've been a great story for my blog."

Porter glided to her side, bemused yet indifferent about the situation altogether. "Uh, what's going on?"

"Jack got me sick is what," Holt retorted, specifically at his former alter ego.

"I have trouble with monster food!"

"Well, what're you gonna eat now, huh?"

I tuned out their bickering and focused. "Holt?"

He straightened at my call. "Yeah?"

"I doubt you're as sick as you think." I walked over to him and Jackson and briefly pointed at Holt's stomach. "Besides running to the nearest toilet, you'd be clutching your stomach or have some discoloration in your face." I looked at Jackson. "I'm surprised you couldn't tell."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I was just scared. You know how he gets."

"I'm right here, ya know," Holt ran a hand through his hair. "And I don't flare up that bad."

Jackson let out a huff, clearly knowing more about Holt's temper than I did—which was just about nothing. I had never seen him angry.

I glanced over my shoulder. "Is there any medicine here, Invisi Billy?"

He sent me a swift nod and gestured past us. "Kitchen. Cupboard above the sink."

I turned to Holt. "Let's get you some medicine."

He raised an eyebrow and curled his lips. "Alright."

Holt shot Jackson a smug grin as I looked back at Clawdeen. "Sorry, but we'll have to talk later."

The werewolf nodded slowly, eyes still wide at the befuddling scene before her. I took it as a sign to leave, ushering Holt down the left wing until we reached the gourmet kitchen. The stainless steel sink was bright against the black granite, but the cupboard above was a little over my limit.

"Need help?" Holt asked.

My anxiety swiftly morphed into confidence. "No, thanks. I got it."

I tugged at my wrist and freed my right hand from stitches. It leaped onto the counter. Palm arched, it scuttled to the sink and scrambled up the faucet. But it wasn't enough. No matter how much it jumped, my rogue hand couldn't make the cupboard. My hand had done more outrageous tasks and now it couldn't leap less than a foot high?

I had half a mind to throw it until Holt raised his arm and opened the cupboard with ease. Instead of searching for medicine, he brought his attention to my flailing hand.

"Now do you need help?"

I hesitated. "Thank you but—"

He took my hand off the faucet and held it in front of the opened cupboard, where it scurried off his palm and fell amongst the array of medicine. Thuds sounded before my loose hand reappeared clutching a small plastic bottle.

It held the bottle outward, offering it to Holt. He gingerly peeled it from my fingers, and my hand leaped from the ledge and onto the counter, where I reattached it to my wrist with a pop.

Holt set the medicine down and circled the island, opening and closing drawers until he returned with a spoon.

He put it in his mouth when he twisted the bottle open. His fiery eyes flicked to my newly reattached hand. "Thanks," he managed to get out.

"Oh." I looked at my hand. "You're welcome. Thanks for helping me out. I don't know what went wrong earlier..."

"Out of practice?" Holt hopped up on the island.

"Probably," I sighed. "I guess that's what happens when your body isn't yours."

He paused. "Yeah, I get that."

I stuttered. "Oh no, I didn't mean it like that."

Holt shrugged and poured the pink liquid into the spoon. "S'fine. It's over now."

The silence was sure to reign if I hadn't spoken up a second later. "Shouldn't you read the directions?"

The spoon stopped less than an inch away from his mouth. Holt smirked and drank it regardless.

"Holt..."

" _Relax_ ," he sang with a grin.

The way he responded caught me off guard, and he laughed—confusing me even more but for the better, really. He had been nothing but doleful ever since I came to this new time, so it was refreshing to see him happy and singing, even if it was one word.

Holt placed the bottle back into the cupboard and hopped onto the island. He tossed the spoon and it clattered into the sink. "You know I could've gotten it myself, right?"

I blanked. My thoughts swirled until I finally latched onto a reasonable excuse.

"I thought maybe I could see how you were doing. We haven't talked since we left Monster High and Ghoulia and what happened when the vampires showed up at Bloodgood's..."

I looked down and willed away buried emotions The ruins of the school and my old friend flashed in my memory, dull blue eyes in a dangerously gaunt face. Ghoulia was a zombie, but even I was astonished she had survived as long as she did. Why did she have to stay?

"Hey." Holt's sharp tone snapped me out of my trance. I looked up. His expression was unrecognizably grim and steady. "Ghoulia's decision and Valentine biting Lagoona have nothing to do with you, so don't beat yourself up about it."

I couldn't find it in me to respond. I couldn't help but feel like I could've done more.

Holt's voice was soft, "Slo-Mo went back for Ghoulia. She'll be okay. And Lagoona?" He chuckled. "She's one of the toughest ghouls I know. I wouldn't be surprised to see her rocking that neck scar at the party like a badass."

I relaxed. "You know about the party?"

He nodded. "A certain mummy princess may have mentioned it."

I giggled. "She was really excited about the gowns."

His brows furrowed. "Gowns?"

"Yeah. Dresses."

"You mean long, fancy dresses?"

"Uh huh," I said slowly.

Holt groaned and muttered something under his breath.

"What? I thought you liked parties. You of all monsters."

"Yeah, yeah I do." He fumbled with his hands. "But the dresses—the gowns—they mean formal."

"Isn't that another opportunity to show off?" I joked.

A smile teased his lips. "Yeah but... Even if I got hot threads and they let me DJ... It's still formal."

"So..?"

"So formal parties always mean less rocking songs and more slow ones. How lively is the party gonna be then?"'

"What does it matter?" I prompted. "If you're the DJ then you get to choose the songs, right?"

He gave an adamant shake of his head. "Nah, formal parties mean lots of slow songs no matter what. It's like a code."

I huffed out a laugh. A few days ago and he was completely against resuming his DJ position. Now he was so eager to get back to it, even with his "code".

"There you go." A wide smile spread across Holt's face, eyes gleaming. He hopped off the counter and faced me. "It's good seein' you smile again, Frankie Fine."

A shock spurred from my neck bolts, and sparks flew off my skin. I almost couldn't hear him laugh past the crackling electricity. Maybe it was the distance or the look on his face, but I didn't know to hear the old nickname could cause such a reaction.

Holt was already walking out the kitchen, a comical grin plastered on his face. "See you tomorrow. And thanks for making sure I didn't puke my guts out."

"You weren't that sick..." I called out, but he was already gone.

-.-.-.-

After they had finished eating dinner, I took it upon myself to lead Clawdeen, Spectra, and Skelita to their rooms. Clawdeen was the least indifferent about her room choice, so she decided on her room last. I had followed her into the animal-print themed room and, once she had gotten everything from her car parked outside, the first thing she said to me was:

"That nightgown reeks."

I looked down. How did I survive the day wearing nothing but a stinky, skimpy nightgown? It was the last thing Nefera wore as me. I groaned, frustrated that I hadn't even thought to change my outfit when I had the chance.

"It smells like the palace," Clawdeen said. "Is it Nefera's?"

She didn't have to hear my response with the look I gave her. "I should change out of it."

Clawdeen nodded fiercely. "Here—" she tossed me a bundle of clothes from the opened dresser, "—wear this. I'm not into orange."

Neither was I, but I wasn't about to argue—Anything to get me out of this slinky nightgown. "Thanks."

"Do you mind coming back when you're done?" she asked, ears drawn. "Elissabat said she wanted to talk to us after dinner. That and..." Her pointed ears fell flat on her head. "I still haven't told you about Venus."

"Sure." I strolled out into the hall. I had never seen Clawdeen nervous like that. Where was her usual big bad wolf persona?

Once I made it to my room, I changed as quickly as possible. The clothing Clawdeen gave me consisted of cotton shorts and a loose t-shirt, which was a nice, airy change. The orange was firey on my pale green skin.

Spectra's bright glow greeted me when I swung the door open. She had an anxious look in her eyes. "Has Clawdeen told you?"

"About what? Venus?"

She shook her head. "About Valentine."

"Valentine?" The vampire's blazing red gaze flashed in my memory. "What about him?"

She waved me away. "Never mind. Clawdeen will explain. I'll meet you downstairs." She flew out the corridor before I could say anything more.

Clawdeen anxiously fidgeted on the edge of her bed. She looked startled to see me and rose to her feet. Her expression softened. "You might wanna sit down for this."

I made my way to the bed, stopping short. I feared for the worse. "Clawdeen—"

"Venus is dead," she burst out. Her gaze fell to the floor instantly, regretting having spoken so abruptly.

I froze, my body going numb. Dead? No.

The next second, I was on the floor and when I opened my mouth to speak, another voice sounded.

"What?"

I couldn't tell who was behind me, but suddenly they were at my side, rubbing my back.

I looked over my shoulder to see Operetta, her eyes round and glassy. Lagoona stood in the doorway.

"She's dead?" Lagoona rasped. Disbelief was scrawled across her face.

"She sacrificed herself," Clawdeen said steadily. "She tried to kill Valentine with poison and he got hurt bad but Venus..."

Lagoona breaths came in shallow, and she walked toward Operetta and I. She knelt beside us and closed her eyes.

Clawdeen knelt to put a hand on Lagoona's shoulder.

Operetta looked at me. Her mouth opened like she was going to say something, but instead, she closed it tightly and shut her eyes. Then she got up and walked out of the room.

I was shaking. Venus tried to kill Valentine. We didn't want to leave her behind but she had an ulterior motive all along. Nefera couldn't do anything without him since he was the one running things.

"What's going on?"

Whisp looked in from the hallway. She took a cautious step into the room. "Ghouls..?"

Clawdeen rose to her feet. She sighed. "Whisp, it's... It's a bit of a long story but Venus tried to kill Valentine. She's dead."

"Is Valentine okay?!" Whisp blurted out.

I noticed Lagoona clench her fists, but she remained where she was.

Clawdeen looked down. "Yes. Just a little banged up from the poison."

" _Poison?_ "

" _Whisp_ ," Lagoona said through her teeth. "Could you talk about this later?" She turned to face her, shaking and her face wet with tears. The scar from Valentine's bite was still red on her neck.

Whisp took a step back, and her expression darkened. "I need to fix this."

"What?" I tried reaching out to her, but she was swept into her own world. "How? You can't fix this."

"I'm a genie!" she burst out, something wild in her eyes. "I have magic! I can fix this! I just need to go back to Kieran and then I can, I can..." Whisp slumped onto her knees in a puddle of anguish. Her quickened, ragged breaths came out as choking sobs. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be like this..."

Clawdeen and I shared a look before slowly approaching her. Whisp looked at her hands, her face wrenching into a hate-filled grimace.

"What's the point of having magic if I can never do any good with it?"

-.-.-.-

The talk with Elissabat was postponed, to say the least. Whisp had been nearly impossible to calm down. I don't think we fully succeeded, but we got her into her room remarkably.

I didn't expect her to be so shocked at Lagoona's reaction. It was another load on the crushing guilt she kept piling atop herself. The dreams of Whisp's memories showed me firsthand, but I couldn't bring myself to blame her. It was Nefera who made her do this.

Elissabat was waiting in the dining room. When we finally arrived, she let out an exasperated sigh then dove straight into questioning the newcomers. Spectra had the most to say next to Clawdeen; sometimes Skelita would add in her opinion, while Porter floated aimlessly, occasionally whining about how they wouldn't let him leave.

Then came the topic of Venus and Valentine.

Elissabat perked up at the news. "Valentine? He was the one that stole hearts." Her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Emo vampires... Such a troublesome sub-species. It's a shame Venus didn't succeed." Her gaze shifted, staring into nothing and lost in her thoughts.

Clawdeen waved a clawed hand in front of her. "Elissabat?"

The vampire blinked. "Right." She leaped to her feet and clapped her hands. "Thank you, everyone. You can be on your way."

"Finally," Porter groaned. He glided over to Spectra and grabbed her hand, tugging her away before she had a chance to protest.

"Wait," Clawdeen said, rising from her seat. "Why all the questions, Elissabat?"

"Because you're from the Queen's palace. How can I make sure I trust you without asking you questions?"

"And you believe us?" Skelita asked.

"I'm a vampire. I can tell by your pulse when you're lying. Well," Elissabat gestured at Clawdeen, "I could tell when she was lying. And if she trusts you, that's good enough for me."

The Wolf shook her head. "That's not what I meant. What are you doing? You have everything. Why are you hiding like this?"

She frowned. "I was thought to be dead when Monster High fell. The others and I are using it to our advantage."

"But for how long?" Clawdeen pushed. "You don't plan on staying in the shadows forever, do you?"

Elissabat scoffed. "No. Not anymore at least."

"Not anymore?" I echoed, speaking up for the first time.

She whirled on me with a fierce, eager look. Excitement radiated off her small form. "Don't you see? Nefera is helpless now that she doesn't have your face to hide behind. And I, the vampire queen, can finally have the throne I was destined for. "

I was at a loss for words, and Clawdeen was the one to speak up.

"Anything but a poser sounds good to me," she said dryly. "When are you planning on making your move?"

"I don't know," Elissabat snapped. She shook her head dismissively. "I'll see you, ghouls, later."

Clawdeen, Skelita, and I left the dining room together until we made it to the stairs, where I started lagging behind them. Elissabat's frighteningly restless face wouldn't leave my mind. Clawdeen and Skelita didn't seem fazed in the slightest, but I saw the look in her eyes.

This wasn't something Elissabat had thought up out of the blue, this was something she had planned.


End file.
